In an effort to strengthen the availability of halal raw material stores (toko bahan baku or tobaku), LPPOM Babel organized the Festival Syawal 1447 H. This event served as both an educational platform and a facilitation program for raw material store business operators, such as meat shops and retail stores, to obtain halal certification from the Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH).
Through this initiative, LPPOM Babel demonstrated its commitment to supporting tobaku business actors so they can provide halal raw materials for MSMEs. With mentoring and certification facilitation, business actors are expected to comply with mandatory halal regulations through a process that is faster, easier, and more structured.
LPPOM of Bangka Belitung Province (Babel) once again educated the public about the importance of halal certification. Through the Festival Syawal 1447 Hijri titled “Halal Raw Material Stores: The First Step Toward Resilient MSMEs,” LPPOM Babel organized the event for tobaku business actors on March 4, 2026, at the Representative Office of Bank Indonesia of the Bangka Belitung Islands Province in Pangkal Pinang.
The Chairman of MUI Bangka Belitung, Prof. Dr. KH Hatamar Rasyid, M.Ag., emphasized that the Festival Syawal organized by LPPOM provides significant benefits for business actors. According to him, the event plays an important role in helping business actors respond to regulations that require halal certification for all products circulating in Indonesia.
“This halal movement is expected to become a major driver of the Bangka Belitung economy, both from the micro business sector and larger enterprises. In addition, the halal movement is believed to significantly contribute to regional economic growth,” said KH Hatamar.
He also added that halal is no longer merely a trend among Muslims but has become a global necessity. Therefore, halal certification is expected to help business actors improve product quality, expand market reach, and encourage businesses to grow and develop further.
The President Director of LPPOM, Ir. Muti Arintawati, M.Si., explained that the mandatory halal policy represents an important milestone for Micro and Small Enterprises (MSMEs). However, the readiness of business actors must begin from the upstream level, particularly from the clarity of the raw materials used as the primary foundation in the halal certification process.
For this reason, the existence of raw material stores (tobaku) is considered to play a very important and strategic role. Their presence not only helps business actors obtain halal raw materials more easily but also reduces risks in the certification process.
“With tobaku providing halal raw materials with clear traceability, MSME actors can focus more on developing their products and be better prepared to face the implementation of mandatory halal policies,” she explained.
Meanwhile, the Head of the Bank Indonesia (BI) Representative Office of Bangka Belitung, Rommy Sariu Tamawiwy, welcomed the event. He emphasized the importance of synergy among various stakeholders in driving regional economic growth. According to him, economic progress in Bangka Belitung can only be achieved through strong collaboration among government institutions, organizations, and business actors.
Rommy also encouraged all elements of society to remain optimistic in facing various challenges and economic dynamics expected to continue evolving until 2026.
“I am pleased and grateful that we can work together. Synergy is the key. Halal certification is the embryo for the development of the sharia economy to grow more rapidly. We remain committed to supporting the strengthening of the sharia economy by partnering with LPPOM, BPOM, MUI, and business actors,” Rommy explained.
The Governor of the Bangka Belitung Islands Province, Dr. (HC) Hidayat Arsani, S.E., emphasized that halal certification is not merely about regulatory compliance but has also become part of the community’s lifestyle. Furthermore, halal certification can expand market opportunities while increasing consumer trust in products produced by business actors.
He also stated that the government has prepared 5,918 halal certification facilities for MSMEs through the self-declare scheme as a concrete effort to strengthen the regional halal ecosystem.
“We continue to work hard together with stakeholders to accelerate halal certification. Hopefully, halal certification can serve as a guideline for MSMEs to grow, advance, and compete in broader markets,” he stated.
The Special Work Unit Head of LPPOM, Purwono, S.IP., highlighted that one of the key factors for MSMEs in obtaining halal certification lies in selecting raw materials whose halal status is guaranteed. According to him, raw materials with clear halal status and traceability will greatly facilitate the halal certification process.
“With raw materials that clearly meet halal requirements, MSME actors can more easily fulfill halal certification requirements while increasing consumer trust in the products they produce,” he explained.
In addition, according to the Director of LPPOM Babel, Muhammad Ihsan, S.T.P., M.Si., tobaku business operators must ensure that processing facilities are not mixed with processes involving non-halal materials or products. This separation includes not only production areas but also equipment and other supporting facilities used during the processing stages.
“The stages of the process that must be carefully managed include weighing materials, storing materials, mixing materials, molding products, and cooking or other processes that may affect the halal status of the product. With proper separation of facilities, the integrity of the halal production process can be maintained and the risk of contamination with non-halal materials can be avoided,” Ihsan explained.
As part of the Festival Syawal 1447 H themed “Halal Raw Material Stores: The First Step Toward Resilient MSMEs,” LPPOM organized various activities, ranging from free halal certification facilitation for halal raw material stores to halal outreach and education programs throughout Indonesia. This program aims to strengthen the role of halal raw material stores as an essential foundation for building resilient, competitive MSMEs that are ready to grow within the national halal ecosystem.
The program focuses on facilitating halal certification for Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) as part of LPPOM’s commitment to supporting government efforts to increase the number of halal products. In the future, halal products are expected to expand both nationally and globally, thereby creating a sense of security and peace of mind for Muslim communities when consuming halal products. (ZUL)
