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Jakarta (ANTARA) – Vice President Ma’ruf Amin has emphasized the importance of continuous innovation in Indonesia’s halal industry.
“I think there needs to be a combination between halal assurance and innovation. We don’t just need halal assurance or innovation alone. We need both,” he said during a working visit to PT Paragon Technology and Innovation at the Jatake Industrial Estate, here on Wednesday.
Amin paid a visit to PT Paragon to assess the company’s halal practices, which include the Wardah, Make Over, Emina, Kahf, Putri, and LABORE brands of halal cosmetics. Aside from producing well-known cosmetics, the company also won an award at the Indonesia Halal Industry Award in 2021. (IHYA).
“I see (this company as a very large company) and I think they are not just a research-based company, but market-based as well,” the Vice President remarked.
He said he had been a part of the company’s growth since 1999, when it was still a small business.
“After 22 years, they have become a big company and I think this (success) is due to halal assurance and innovation,” he added.
Amin also stressed the importance of innovation in growing the market for halal products, particularly cosmetics.
“Currently, we are observing several countries with extreme hot and cold weather, which allows the products being marketed, including in developed countries. We hope that there will be products produced through research,” said the Vice President.
He stated that the government is actively working on expanding exports to non-traditional countries.
“Currently, there are 27 countries that are not export targets. Paragon needs to expand its market to non-traditional markets, not only to Malaysia, ASEAN, and the Middle East. We hope Indonesia will become the largest producer of halal products, thus enabling employment,” he said.
President Joko Widodo had previously stated that he wished for Indonesia to become the global halal industry’s epicenter by 2024, citing the vast potential of the global halal market.
According to the report The State of the Global Islamic Economy 2020–2021, global Muslim citizens invest more than US$2 trillion on food, fashion, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and recreation in the tourism sector.
According to data from the Trade Ministry, Indonesia’s halal product exports have reached US$6 billion, placing it 21st globally in terms of halal product exports.
In the meantime, Indonesia’s halal fashion exports have surpassed US$4.1 billion. In terms of halal fashion exports, it now ranks among the top 13 countries in the world.
