Indonesian Ministry to Offer Free Halal Certification to 500,000 SMEs

Indonesia's Ministry of UMKM is facilitating free halal certification for approximately 500,000 micro, small, and medium enterprises (UMKM) to help them comply with the October 2026 deadline. Minister Maman Abdurrahman announced the program, developed with the Halal Product Guarantee Agency (BPJPH), aims to broaden access to certification for businesses.

The ministry is strengthening various empowerment programs to boost UMKM competitiveness. These include easier business legality, financing, training, and product certification. Abdurrahman highlighted that halal certification is crucial for building consumer trust and expanding market access.

Beyond certification, the ministry is fostering an entrepreneurship ecosystem to leverage Indonesia's demographic bonus. With 68% of its over 287 million population in the productive age group, Indonesia has a significant opportunity to cultivate more competitive entrepreneurs. The government targets a national entrepreneurship ratio of 3.20% by 2026, rising to 3.60% by 2029.

To support these goals, the UMKM Ministry is developing the Sapa UMKM application, a unified service platform for an estimated 57 million UMKM. This platform will offer access to financing, certification, business permits, training, and business development information. Additionally, the ministry is partnering with 754 business incubators nationwide to mentor aspiring entrepreneurs, startups, and existing UMKM.

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The spirit of the Ministry of UMKM is to ensure every business owner can grow and develop through various programs and services provided by the government.