New halal certification rules raise concerns among Indonesian hoteliers

Indonesian hoteliers have raised concerns about the effectiveness of the mandatory halal certification enforced by the Indonesia Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH) under the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

The policy, which took effect on October 18, applies to most businesses across the country.

BPJPH chairman Haikal Hassan stated “all products circulating and traded in Indonesia must have clear boundaries between halal and non-halal”, adding that sanctions would be imposed to those failing to comply.

BPJPH has begun nationwide Halal Product Assurance supervision to ensure that medium and large businesses obtained the required halal certification.

Following the announcement, the Indonesian Hotel General Managers Association (IHGMA) and the Indonesian Hotel & Restaurant Association (IHRA) met with BPJPH to highlight the…