Halal certification standards and regulations in Indonesia are issued by BPJPH and known as the Halal Product Assurance System (SJPH). These halal standards and regulations need to be understood by all business actors who want to certify their products as halal.

Indonesia Halal Product Assurance System (SJPH) regulates matters related to the halal certification process, starting with human resources and their competencies, halal service rates, halal product guarantee standards, and international cooperation with halal related institutions around the world.

In Indonesia itself, halal regulations began with the issuance of Law on Halal Product Guarantee No. 33 of 2014, which is currently undergoing significant changes. For example, with the formation of the Halal Product Fatwa Committee after the issuance of Law No. 6 of 2023, What will the changes be like? Let’s see together!

Changes in Indonesia Halal Regulations After Law No. 6 of 2023

Law No. 6 of 2023, which has been ratified, is an important part of improving halal regulations in Indonesia. In its journey, the adjustment of halal regulations in Indonesia has changed four times, namely in Law Number 33 of 2014, Law Number 11 of 2020, Perpu Number 2 of 2022, and most recently, Law Number 6 of 2023, which was passed on March 31, 2023.

There are several fundamental changes in Law Number 6 of 2023, namely the time for assistance in the process of halal products, the existence of a halal product fatwa committee, the determination of product halalness, and the validity period of halal certificates.

The timeline for self-declared halal certification, which is not regulated in Law Number 11 of 2020, has been regulated in Law Number 6 of 2023 for 12 working days (1 day from submission of application to BPJPH, 10 working days of verification and validation by PPH Facilitators, 1 working day of halal determination at the Fatwa Committee, until halal certification is issued from BPJPH).

Law Number 6 of 2023 also stipulates the establishment of a fatwa committee for halal products, which was not previously established in Law Number 11 of 2020. The fatwa committee for halal products is a team formed and responsible to the Minister of religious affair, consisting of elements of scholars and academics. This halal fatwa committee must be created within one year of the law’s passage.

Changes in Law Number 6 of 2023 also have an impact on MUI. In Law Number 11 of 2020, MUI is tasked with establishing halal decisions which are carried out through halal fatwa sessions. However, under Law Number 6 of 2023, MUI, Provincial MUI, Regency/City MUI, and Aceh Deliberative Council can also determine halal decisions.

The halal fatwa court has also undergone major changes; under Law Number 11 of 2020, both regular and self-declared halal certification fatwas are carried out by the MUI fatwa commission. But in Law Number 6 of 2023, only regular submissions for halal fatwa hearings are carried out by the MUI fatwa commission, and the commission must determine the product’s halalness no more than 3 working days after receiving the report from LPH. If the time limit is exceeded, the decisions is  will be carried out by the Halal Product Fatwa Committee. and the determination of product halalness by the Halal Product Fatwa Committee takes no longer than 2 working days.

For self-declaration, halal fatwa hearings will only be carried out by the halal product fatwa committee and carried out for only 1 working day.

With this change, it is expected to accelerate the process of product halal certification.

The validity term of halal certifications is the final major modification in Law Number 6 of 2023. According to Law No. 11 of 2020, halal certifications are only valid for four years and must be renewed. Meanwhile, according to Law Number 6 of 2023, the validity term of the halal certificate begins with the issuing of the BPJPH and continues as long as there is no change in the composition of the components and/or PPH. The validity period of this halal certificate is a presidential mandate.

This change in the halal regulation itself was made as an effort to support the target that all products circulating in Indonesia must be halal certified by 2024. It is hoped that with this change, it will make it easier for business people and businesses to certify their products.

IHATEC, as a halal training institution, is ready to help business people to be able to certify their products halal with competent training and assistance.