Ministry of Religious Affairs, has called for the strengthening of synergy in halal product assurance. The need to enhance synergy in the fields of innovation and technology transfer in halal product assurance was emphasized. The 17th Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) 2023 Working Group on Halal Product and Services (WGHAPAS) and the 3rd Strategic Halal Industry Collaboration Task Force (SHICTF) meeting serve as strategic forums for Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand to collaborate in the halal product sector. The importance of strengthening synergy for innovation and technology utilization in the halal product industry is very important. The IMT-GT WGHAPAS and SHICFT forums make a strategic contribution to the halal products of the three member countries, aiming to enhance economic resilience. Furthermore, strengthening trilateral synergy is relevant to future challenges that demand rapid, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth in times of uncertainty.
This synergy strengthening is also in line with the guidance of President Joko Widodo in the 15th IMT-GT Summit in May, emphasizing three important aspects of cooperation, namely downstreaming industries, halal industry development, and green economy. Regarding halal industry development, the significant potential of the halal market is one of the advantages in building the halal ecosystem. Moreover, process efficiency is encouraged, accelerated halal certification for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), joint promotion of halal products, and technological innovation to support the halal industry. This forum gathered all delegations and stakeholder representatives, including representatives from universities, businesses, associations, Halal Certification Bodies (LPH), halal laboratory consortiums, as stakeholders of IMT-GT expected to strengthen collaboration in halal product development.
