SINGAPORE’S halal industry is on a roll, with the number of certified premises rising five-fold this past decade to 2,650 as more businesses court the Muslim market.
That number is expected to go up to 5,000 by 2015 and the trend has prompted the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) to do more than just certification.
It will join Spring Singapore, International Enterprise Singapore and other partners to build up the country’s halal brand through product development, trade and consultancy.
At stake is a global halal-food market worth S$860mil. According to Muis president Alami Musa, going halal can increase takings by 20% to 25% for businesses.
At a seminar yesterday, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, noted that the quintupling of halal-certified premises over the last 10 years is also a boost for tourism.
It is a positive trend, given that the top three visitor-generating markets include Indonesia and Malaysia, said Dr Yaacob who is also Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts.
Muslims dominate the population in both countries. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network