JAKARTA – Chairperson of the Da’wah Commission of The Indonesian Council of Ulama (MUI) KH Cholil Nafis said halal had become a lifestyle of the people. Kiai Cholil stated that the community is already comfortable with halal.
“Our society is already comfortable with halal, they already feel the benefits of halal, “said Kyai Cholil when delivering a sermon at the 7th anniversary of the Indonesian Halal Watch (IHW), at the IHW Office, Wisma Bumiputera Setiabudi, South Jakarta, Thursday (1/23/2020).
On the same occasion, IHW Executive Director Ikhsan Abdullah said the halal certification obligation was a nation’s agreement contained in the Halal Product Assurance Law (JPH).
“The journey of the JPH Law is long, ten years in parliament until the halal certification obligation determined. Become a nation’s agreement. So, when there are parties who want to eliminate this halal certification obligation, and then this is contrary to the national consensus, “said Ikhsan.
At present, the public is disturbed by the circulation of the Draft of The Omnibus Law on Employment Creation, which contains the elimination of halal certification obligations in Law 33 of 2014 concerning Halal Product Assurance (JPH). According to Kyai Cholil, the circulation of this draft opposed by the community. Kyai Cholil requested that the government not go against the will of the people.
“People need halal certification. People get angry and annoyed if they get deleted. Therefore, the government or the House of Representatives should never think about removing the law that has passed for the obligation of halal certification, “said Kyai Cholil.
The circulation of this draft is unknown. Ikhsan, who is also a public lawyer, had checked with fellow advocates and elements related to this draft. From this check, it known that there is no elimination of the halal registration obligation of a product in the JPH Law.
Ikhsan requested that the media not be provocative by reporting on the unclear source of the Omnibus Law.
“It turns out that there is no elimination of Article 4 of the JPH Law. The media should not be provocative but should develop. There is not a single word in the draft that halal certification has revoked,” Ikhsan stressed.
Even so, Kyai Cholil agreed that the Omnibus Law facilitated the halal certification process. “Like what was said by Kyai Ma’ruf (Vice President of The Republic of Indonesia), we do not delete, but make it easier. If that is the goal to invest and create jobs is to facilitate certification, “said Kyai Cholil.
On this occasion, Kyai Cholil also asked the government to subsidize the cost of halal certification for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). “MSMEs must be subsidized by the government. Not to be confused with entrepreneurs who have survived with entrepreneurs who are still small, “said Kyai Cholil.
Meanwhile, Ikhsan suggested that the government does not eliminate the cost of halal certification for MSMEs. “I don’t agree to make it free. Do not be free, and you should still be charged. It is so that businesses value and maintain the halal assurance system after the halal certificate is issued, “Ikhsan said.
Besides, if 100 percent is free, then this can burden the country. At present, there are 1.6 million MSMEs products that have not been halal certified, which divided into five years. That means there are 320 thousand SME products that must be financed.
With halal certification costs of Rp. 2 million multiplied by 320 products, the state must provide funds of Rp. 640 billion per year. This value is undoubtedly very burdensome to state finances. (IBN)
