For a Muslim-majority country like Indonesia, one important thing to consider when purchasing or consuming daily necessities is to ensure that the product is Halal.
For this reason, the Indonesian government established a new body, the BPJPH Halal Assurance Agency, to bring a favorable Halal certification process.
What is BPJPH?
BPJPH's full Indonesian name is Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Produk Halal (Halal Product Assurance Agency). Since October 2017, the Indonesian government, under Law No. 33 of 2014 on Halal Product Assurance, has issued and authorized Halal certification registration and processes.
Since Muslims are the majority in Indonesia, BPJPH was established to increase safety and certainty among them regarding the Halal products traded in the country. When a certain product passes the certification process managed by the agency, the product's Halal status is officially guaranteed, thereby obtaining the right and permission for use by Muslim citizens.
Legal rights
Under Indonesia's Law No. 33 of 2014 on Halal Product Assurance and Certification, BPJPH has many legal rights to take administrative actions, including the registration, testing and certification processes. These actions are carried out to certify that traded products, whether imported or locally produced, are Halal. The agency's main power is to formulate and establish detailed policies on Halal product assurance. These include guidelines and standards for Halal assurance, guiding principles for Halal audits, and procedures for Halal label and certificate registration.
In addition, the agency has the power to produce information and educate the public about certified Halal products. BPJPH is also responsible for further actions after the certification process, such as monitoring the Halal assurance of products and establishing legal cooperation with local and foreign bodies on implementing Halal labeling and certification.
Advantages of BPJPH Halal regulations
A notable benefit of BPJPH Halal regulations is that they can be accepted under international law, because the agency's authority is registered in cooperation with foreign bodies, and the Indonesian government submitted the regulation to the WTO, which guarantees the broad recognition of BPJPH Halal regulations. The broad recognition scope of the BPJPH certificate is clearly an advantage for companies, because they do not need to repeat the certification process for products exported to international markets.
Another advantage of BPJPH Halal certification is its validity period. Unlike the previous law, which stipulated a two-year validity for certified products, products registered with BPJPH have a longer validity, namely 4 years after the certification is announced. Therefore, when enterprises want to renew certification, it can save them time and budget.
In conclusion, BPJPH Halal regulations bring new hope for Halal certification assurance in Indonesia. Through well-managed procedures, the agency will provide legal certification for Halal products, so that Muslims can safely consume these products.