Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics Research Institute of the Indonesian Ulema Council (LPPOM MUI) received applications for halal certification from 15,273 business players in 2022, an increase of 48 percent compared to 2021.
“This figure increased by 48 percent from 2021, which stood at 10,337 business players,” LPPOM MUI president director Muti Arintawati informed here on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the number of products submitted for halal certification in 2022 reached 297,308, she added.
According to her, the high number of applications pushed LPPOM MUI to continue to transform to expedite the examination of halal certifications in accordance with government regulations.
Government Regulation Number 39 of 2014 concerning the implementation of guarantees for halal products states that the halal examination or testing of products produced domestically must be carried out within 15 working days, with a maximum extension of 10 working days.
For foreign products, the time limit is 15 working days, with an extension of 15 working days.
On average, the halal certification process at LPPOM MUI for domestic companies takes around 28.63 calendar days, while for foreign companies, it takes 29.92 calendar days.
“According to the regulation, the maximum time for domestic (companies’) halal certification is 25 working days, and for foreign (companies, it) is a maximum of 30 working days. Alhamdulillah (thank God), LPPOM MUI has complied with the regulation if the processing time is reduced by days off, including national holidays,” she informed.
For expediting the certification process, LPPOM MUI is cooperating with both government and private parties.
Arintawati said that in 2022, LPPOM MUI carried out halal certification facilitation cooperation with 132 partners, such as banks and government agencies/institutions at the central, provincial, district, and city levels.
“The total (number of) business players that have been facilitated is 9,582 business players,” she added.
She expressed optimism that, with the efforts it has made, LPPOM MUI will be able to become a strategic partner of the government in expediting halal certification and supporting Indonesia’s aim of becoming a center of the halal economy.
