VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian Vice President, Ma'ruf Amin opened the online Indonesia Industrial Moslem Exhibition (ii Motion) from Jakarta, Thursday (3/6). In his remarks, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin is optimistic that Indonesia will become the largest halal producing country in the world with various potentials and government support.

He also explained that the government is preparing the 2019-2024 Indonesian Sharia Economic Master plan with four main strategies that have been set. First, it is to strengthen the halal value chain consisting of the halal food and beverage industry, halal tourism, Muslim fashion, halal media and recreation, halal pharmacy and cosmetics, and renewable energy. Three other strategies set by the government in the Master plan are strengthening the Islamic finance sector, strengthening micro, small and medium enterprises, and utilizing and strengthening the digital economy.

Based on data from the World Population Review, the number of Muslims in the world reaches 1.9 billion people. Indonesia has the largest Muslim population. According to the Vice President, this shows that Indonesia has a large market potential for Muslim products. He emphasized that Indonesia also wants to become the largest producer and exporter of halal products in the world. Therefore, he asked the relevant ministers to encourage Indonesia to become a global halal producer in the food, beverage, fashion, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and tourism sectors. This exhibition aims to encourage the promotion and publication of Indonesian Muslim products to be increasingly known to the world.

On the same occasion, Minister of Industry, Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said that his ministry is also encouraging the growth of the Small and Medium Industry of Muslim products in an effort to make Indonesia the largest producer of halal products in the world.

Meanwhile, Director General of Small, Medium and Multifarious Industries of the Ministry of Industry, Gati Wibawaningsih said, the public's need for products and services labeled as halal is increasing. According to Gati, the large potential market for the global halal product industry is not only competed by countries with a Muslim majority, such as Indonesia and Malaysia. Companies from China, Thailand, the Philippines, Japan, South Korea and Australia, but also produce halal goods. However, she believes that Indonesia is able to take part in the halal product market, at least as a major player in Asia.