By: Wildan Ahmad )*
The Omnibus Law of the Job Creation Law regulates that people are able to become entrepreneurs, because there are MSMEs clusters and clusters of ease of doing business. In addition, this law also accelerates the halal certification process. So that culinary and cosmetic entrepreneurs will get it easily, and pave the way to the export market.
When a businessman is in the culinary and cosmetic business, he cannot just sell. But they have to take care of several requirements, so that the public will trust them. For example P-IRT, BPOM permit, and halal certificate. If you already have all of them, the people will invade their products, because they are guaranteed by the government.
Halal certification is very important for culinary and cosmetic entrepreneurs, because Indonesia is a country with a majority Muslim population. They certainly want to eat, drink and use cosmetics that are halal, and do not contain pork and its derivatives. For example pork gelatin. Or eat a snack but it turns out that in the manufacturing process it is smeared with a pig-bristled brush.
If you already have a certificate, then it is a sign that the product is truly halal and thayyib. But unfortunately the process to get it is a bit complicated. Because there must be laboratory tests to ensure that there are no haram contents such as alcohol and pork. In the past, the bureaucracy took a long time because you had to queue at LPH for 2-3 months.
Even though this certificate is important, because if you are going to export to the Arabian peninsula and the Middle East, you must have it. If the process is accelerated, entrepreneurs will benefit and the export process will run smoothly. They can get money to expand their business. The Indonesian government also benefits from getting an export tax.
Mastuki HS, Head of the Center for Halal Registration and Certification of BPJPH, stated that before, if you wanted to get halal certification, you had to wait 92 days, for foreign products. As for foreign products, it even takes up to 107 days. But now, since the Job Creation Law was enacted, it only takes 21 days to get a halal certificate.
This acceleration will certainly have a positive impact. Because the registration service was improved and the community benefited. They also don’t need to be afraid of their halal status, because within 21 days the products are tested not only by BPJPH, but also by the halal inspection agency (LPH) and MUI. So that the certificate is really valid.
The issue of cost is also a stumbling block. Previously, when I was about to get a certificate, I had to pay 2 million rupiah. But now it is written off. Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto stated that the elimination of the halal certificate fee is specifically for MSME entrepreneurs. This has been in effect since the Work Creation Law was inaugurated, October 2020.
If the fees are eliminated, it will greatly help MSME entrepreneurs who have low pockets. So that they can get a halal certificate, without being confused about where to find a loan. If this certificate is obtained, the buyer’s trust will increase. Culinary products and cosmetics will sell well, and they will get multiple benefits.
If the business grows bigger, UMKM businessmen can level up to become big class. When in the past I only sold on carts, over time I had a shop, then I was able to buy a building to become a restaurant. Automatically they need employees to serve customers. Thus reducing unemployment in Indonesia.
This positive domino effect is expected by the government. So that we can survive the threat of economic crisis volume 2. Because halal certificates are easy to obtain, benefit culinary and cosmetic entrepreneurs and expand their business, and can absorb unemployment. Automatically people’s purchasing power will also increase.
Entrepreneurs welcome the acceleration of the halal certification process, because they don’t have to wait up to 3 months. In addition, the government will also make free the costs, especially for UMKM entrepreneurs. So that it helps those who are still having trouble getting money when they are going to take care of a halal certificate.