During a meeting held in Auckland in March 2024, the Vice President of Indonesia urged stakeholders in New Zealand’s halal industry to strengthen collaboration with their Indonesian counterparts. Emphasizing Indonesia’s status as the country with the world’s largest Muslim population, he underscored the importance of halal product certification and assurance for both religious and economic reasons. With Indonesia’s vast Muslim population of 240 million, he highlighted the country’s potential involvement in diverse halal sectors, including food and beverage, media and recreation, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.
The Vice President emphasized that Indonesia’s halal industry, making an annual contribution of over USD 5 billion to the nation’s gross domestic product, presents significant opportunities for New Zealand’s stakeholders to engage in Indonesia’s economy. He further underscored the escalating global attention and demand for halal products. Projections indicate that Muslim expenditure in the halal sector worldwide is anticipated to surpass USD 3 trillion by 2025, with the global halal economy projected to reach USD 5 trillion by 2030.
As a result, the Vice President highlighted its optimism about the development of the halal economy, recognizing that halal principles and their application extend beyond religious significance. They also encompass stringent health, cleanliness, and safety standards. Consequently, Indonesia has embraced a vision to position itself as a prominent hub for the halal industry.
The Vice President elaborated that achieving this vision requires Indonesia to enhance its halal industry by establishing halal industry zones, refining information systems on halal production, trade, and certification, and reinforcing regulatory agencies and frameworks.
(Source: ANTARA News)
