FOCUS

@ Halal | May-June. 2026

• Indonesia calls for mutual recognition of

halal certificates across Southeast Asia.

• A unified halal certification system

could help businesses expand across Southeast Asia by reducing repeated verification processes and trade barriers.

• Stronger cooperation may help Southeast

Asia compete globally in halal markets.

Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Indonesia Deposit Insurance Corporation( LPS), Anggito Abimanyu, said Southeast Asian countries should work towards a mutual recognition mechanism that allows halal-certified products to move more efficiently across borders.

“ At least, Southeast Asia should have a halal recognition system. So, if a product has already obtained halal certification in one member country, then it should no longer need to undergo halal testing when entering other countries in the region,” he said in a statement.

Currently,

Anggito Abimanyu

UNDERSTANDING MRAs: Mutual Recognition Agreements( MRAs) allow countries to recognise each other ' s halal certification systems, helping reduce duplication and streamline cross-border trade.

halal certification issued by one Southeast Asian country is not always automatically accepted by another, forcing businesses to repeat certification procedures before entering new markets.

The additional requirements have increased costs, delayed market entry and affected companies’ ability to compete regionally, despite Southeast Asia’ s potential to become a major centre for halal trade.

CERTIFICATION CHALLENGE

Abimanyu noted that halal certification bodies in several neighbouring countries, including Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, have also raised similar concerns over the challenges caused by differing certification requirements.

For businesses, the lack of a common recognition framework means products approved in their home markets may still require additional verification before being sold elsewhere. In Indonesia, products entering the country must undergo re-verification unless they are covered under an existing Mutual Recognition Agreement( MRA).

Abimanyu urged the Indonesian government to take the lead in encouraging Southeast Asia-wide cooperation to establish a regional halal recognition framework, which he said would help reduce trade barriers and improve the efficiency of halal product exports and imports.

Beyond regional cooperation, he highlighted the need for Indonesia to strengthen its own halal ecosystem, particularly in increasing domestic certification coverage.

LARGEST MARKET

Despite being the world’ s largest consumer market for halal products, Indonesia still faces challenges in ensuring businesses obtain halal certification. Abimanyu said only around 30 per cent of products circulating in the country currently carry halal certification.

“ Everyone knows that our domestic halal market is the largest in the world. However, despite this vast potential, Indonesia ' s economic benefits remain relatively low. Looking at our consumption-driven GDP( Gross Domestic Product), the fact that only 30 per cent of products are halal-certified is a paradox,” he said.

To address these gaps, Abimanyu called for stronger certification governance, simplified regulations, wider digitalisation of services and deeper international collaboration.

He said improving the halal certification system would not only benefit domestic businesses but also help Indonesia move beyond its role as a major consumer market towards becoming a leading global exporter of halal products.

As Southeast Asian countries increasingly seek opportunities in the expanding halal economy, a har monised certification approach could be a key step towards creating a more integrated regional halal marketplace and enhancing the competitiveness of Southeast Asian producers worldwide.-