Indonesia is a country that has the largest Muslim population in the world. Based on data from the State of Global Islamic Economy Report, Indonesia ranks fourth in 2020-2021 in the strength of the Islamic economy. On the other hand, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are expected to be able to meet market demand for halal products which continues to increase. One of the important things for SMEs to do, of course, is to register their products in order to obtain a halal certificate, to give consumers trust and a sense of security that their products are guaranteed to be halal. To invite and motivate MSME players on the importance of halal-certified products, the Directorate of Information and Communication for the Economy and Maritime Affairs, the Directorate General of Information and Public Communication, the Ministry of Communications and Informatics held the Digital Forum: Halal Certification to Improve Competitiveness which was held in a hybrid manner on Tuesday, April 12, 2022. in the city of Semarang.
On this occasion, the Director of Information and Communication for the Economy and Maritime Affairs of the Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Information, Septriana Tangkary said, currently halal certification of MSME products is very important, especially to increase consumer confidence. "As a country with the largest Muslim population in the world, Indonesia should have a guarantee of halal products," said Septriana, quoted on Wednesday (13/4/2022). “My products have become more competitive, easy to brand and more confident because these products already have a halal logo. When I looked for halal certification, it was not as difficult as imagined. To get this halal certification, I was assisted by the Semarang City Cooperative Service," he said. On the same occasion, Head of the Semarang City Economic and Natural Resources Division, Margarita Mita Dewi, said that currently the development of Semarang City is prioritized on increasing regional economic competitiveness based on local economic potential, enthusiasm for innovation and support for industry players in marketing goods and services. regions and support in business partnerships. “The Semarang City Government provides various facilities for MSME actors. Such as operational facilities (cyber marketing), place facilities (use of the information center building), and document facilities (assistance in filing NIB, halal certification, and others," said Margarita.
