Indonesian SMEs Prepare for Mandatory Halal Certification with UMJ Support

Micro, small, and medium enterprises in Indonesia are gearing up for mandatory halal certification, a move that is prompting them to improve their product readiness. The Center for Border and Coastal Studies (PSPP) at Muhammadiyah University of Jakarta (UMJ) is actively supporting these businesses through training and certification assistance.

The program includes workshops on halal processing for marine products, financial management, and marketing, targeting small businesses within the campus and fishermen in Sambas, West Kalimantan. This initiative is part of an economic empowerment effort by PSPP UMJ in collaboration with Bank Indonesia's Department of Economic and Consumer Protection (DEKS).

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Halal certification is no longer just about fulfilling syariat aspects, but has become a standard that affects product competitiveness.

Endang Rudiatin, head of PSPP UMJ, emphasized that halal certification is no longer just a religious requirement but a crucial factor for product competitiveness. "Coastal communities possess extraordinary potential for processed products," he stated. "Through this socialization and halal certification assistance, we want to ensure our local products are not only safe but also have official, state-recognized legality. This demonstrates our commitment to building a halal product guarantee ecosystem in border regions."

The training covers production hygiene, business owner commitment to maintaining product halalness, and technical guidance to meet certification standards from raw materials to the final consumer. PSPP UMJ believes that an increase in certified halal products will broaden market access for SMEs, especially in coastal and 3T (underdeveloped, frontier, remote) areas, while supporting the development of the Islamic economy through downstream fisheries products and strengthening the halal supply chain.

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Coastal communities have extraordinary potential for processed products. Through this socialization and halal certification assistance, we want to ensure that our local products are not only safe to consume, but also have official legal recognition from the state. This is our commitment in building a halal product guarantee ecosystem in border areas.