Ahlul Bayt News Agency (ABNA.ir), Jakarta – Vice President Boediono said halal certification of domestic products and services should not be burdensome or harmful to industries.
“The awareness of products and services must belong to all parties and all stakeholders and therefore the halal certification should not be burdensome or harmful to industries,” the vice president said at a function to open Business Exhibition and Indonesian Halal Products 2010 here on Friday.
He said halal certification for products and services should not create new costs that were burdensome to industries because it would have a negative impact on consumers rather than on the producers.
“Thus, the halal certification should not cause inefficiency, new costs that are burdensome to industries, and have a negative impact on consumers,” the vice president said, adding that if it happened, consumers with low income would ignore the products and services with halal certification and turn to much cheaper ones.
However, he said, Indonesia should play an active role in the adoption of international halal certification standards.
“Indonesia as the largest Muslim country should play an active role as a potential market segment for various products and services with halal label,” the vice president said.
He said the products and services of a country to be sold in international markets were no longer restricted by tight import duties or taxes but by international halal certification standards.
“What a pity it would be if Indonesian products and services fail to enter other countries` markets just because of their failure to meet the halal standards,” the vice president said.
Therefore, he added that Indonesia should play an active role to have a say in the determination of international halal certification standards in global trade.
He was certain that Indonesia would be able to play an active role in efforts to determine international halal certification standards as had been done so far by the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI).
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