PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero) facilitates halal certification for culinary SMEs in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). The ASDP halal certification program was participated by 10 MSMEs in Labuan Bajo with a total of 60 products. PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero) Corporate Secretary Shelvy Arifin said ASDP consistently supports MSMEs in the port work environment to be able to improve the quality of their products, including encouraging halal certification for the raw materials used. This is a form of corporate social and environmental responsibility (TJSL) in empowering MSMEs. "Halal-certified products certainly have high competitiveness. In Labuan Bajo alone there are a total of 60 products from 10 MSMEs (brands) that will be certified as halal with a total certification cost of IDR 271 million including the training provided. Of the total 10 MSMEs, 4 MSMEs have received a Halal Certificate (SKH), and the rest are still in process," explained Shelvy in a written statement, Sunday (10/30/2022).
He said the halal certification program is expected to be able to increase the competitiveness and buying and selling capacity of the fostered partners, thereby boosting the revenue of the assisted partners' MSMEs in line with the increase in product sales. This activity is also expected to increase the knowledge and skills of the fostered partners, especially in the application of the halal assurance system to the products produced. According to the direction of the Ministry of SOEs, continued Shelvy, ASDP carries out TJSL activities which are divided into three categories. First, the education sector. The second is the environmental sector, and the third is the empowerment of MSMEs. Shelvy explained that the training activities and the procurement of halal certification in Labuan Bajo are part of the MSME empowerment category. In Labuan Bajo there are 22 ASDP-assisted MSMEs, 10 of which are engaged in the culinary field who received training this time. Shelvy said that of the 10 MSME participants, four MSMEs had received a halal decree (SKH), one MSME had not been audited, and five MSMEs had completed the audit and were just waiting for the SKH from the Ministry of Religion's Halal Product Assurance Organizing Agency (BPJPH). Shelvy explained the stages of the halal certification process starting from business actors applying for halal certification by completing business actor data documents, names and types of products, lists of products and materials used, product processing, and halal product guarantee system documents. Furthermore, the Ministry of Religion's BPJPH checks the completeness of the documents and establishes a halal inspection agency (LPH). LPH checks and/or tests the halalness of the product, continues the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) determines the halalness of the product through a halal fatwa session, and finally BPJPH issues a halal certificate. The total time for processing halal certification is 21 working days. Shelvy is optimistic that all MSME participants will succeed in obtaining halal certification, and next year ASDP will also provide support to MSMEs to obtain BPOM certification. "ASDP is committed to continuing to support and assist the empowerment of MSMEs through various programs. It is hoped that MSME products will be more widely marketed while at the same time being able to advance to the national or even international level as one of the super priority tourism destinations (DPSP)," said Shelvy.
