Bandarlampung, Lampung (ANTARA) – The Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH), under the Religious Affairs Ministry, invited the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) forum to increase cooperation in strengthening innovation and technology transfer in the field of halal product assurance.

“The 17th IMT-GT Working Group on Halal Products and Services (WGHAPAS) meeting and the 3rd Strategic Halal Industry Collaboration Task Force (SHICTF) are strategic forums between Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand in the field of halal products,” BPJPH Head Muhammad Aqil Irham stated here, Monday.

Irham expressed hope that Indonesia, which chaired the WGHAPAS this year, can inspire innovative programs for the next three years.

He emphasized that strengthening synergy for innovation and utilization of technology in the halal product industry is very important.

According to the agency head, through WGHAPAS and SHICFT, the three countries can bolster economic resilience.

Irham explained that the strengthening of trilateral synergy is relevant to the demand for more inclusive and sustainable economic growth amid the uncertainties.

“The synergy strengthening aligns with President Joko Widodo’s directive at the IMT-GT Summit in May that there are three important things for the development of cooperation, namely the downstream industry, halal industry, and green economy,” he stated.

The large potential of the halal market is also one of the advantages of building a halal ecosystem, he affirmed.

“Efficiency and acceleration of halal certification, including for small businesses, as well as promotion of halal products, and technological innovation in supporting the halal industry, need to be continuously encouraged,” he stressed.

The forum was attended by stakeholder representatives and delegates from universities, business actors, associations, the Halal Inspection Institutions (LPH), halal laboratory consortiums, and IMT-GT stakeholders.

“We hope that our hosting of IMT-GT WGHAPAS in Lampung can inspire innovative programs for the next two to three years,” he stated.

The 17th IMT-GT WGHAPAS and the 3rd SHICTF meetings were officially opened by Irham on Sunday (July 2) evening in Lampung.