ITS Rector Prof. Ir Joni Hermana MScES PhD (right) and Head of BPJPH Prof. Ir Sukoso MSc PhD shows the signed MoU manuscript

ITS Campus, ITS News – Entering the new era of halal certification, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) Surabaya has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Halal Product Guarantee Agency (BPJPH), Wednesday (2/27) afternoon. This MoU is the beginning of BPJPH’s collaboration with ITS through the ITS Halal Center or Halal Center which was developed to guard halal certification in Indonesia.

Held at the ITS Rector Building, the Halal Certification MoU was approved directly by ITS Rector Prof. Ir Joni Hermana MScES PhD and Head of BPJPH Prof. Ir Sukoso MSc PhD. The Halal Certificate of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) itself is a written fatwa stating the halalness of a product in accordance with Islamic law.

In his speech, Sukoso explained that Indonesia is a country with the largest Muslim population in the world. However, it does not have a contribution to the world’s halal certification which is currently a concern of many international producers. “In addition, the fact that the ASEAN Economic Community (MEA) has been announced a number of years ago demanded Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to be aware of the standards and certification of their products, including halal certification,” he warned.

The process of signing the MoU on Halal Certification by ITS Rector Prof. Ir Joni Hermana MScES PhD (right) and Head of BPJPH Prof. Ir Sukoso MSc PhD

On the other hand, the professor of Fisheries and Marine Sciences also emphasized that all products sold in Indonesia must have halal certification. This certification process will commence on October 27, 2019, in the future in accordance with Law Number 33 of 2014 concerning Guaranteed Halal Products. Later, BPJPH will replace the role of MUI as the body entitled to issue halal certificates. While the MUI will serve as the fatwa giver.

“In this case, BPJPH hooks certain parties as auditors in the certification process, one of them is the university,” Sukoso added. According to him, universities have experts in the field of goods and services that will be certified halal. He also said, at least 25,000 experts were needed consisting of lecturers and fresh graduates to support this project.

Head of BPJPH Prof. Ir Sukoso MSc PhD (left) along with ITS Rector Prof. Ir Joni Hermana MScES PhD when giving an explanation of halal certification

Meanwhile, according to Prof. Joni Hermana, ITS already has a halal study center which is established under the auspices of the Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM). Regarding the halal certification requirements for products as of next October, Joni explained that the role of ITS through the halal study center was to assist and become an information center for MSMEs in preparing halal certification. “With the existence of this MoU, it is expected that cooperation will also be established between ITS and BPJPH in the process of assisting MSMEs to obtain halal certification,” concluded the Professor of Environmental Engineering of ITS. (Anjani / fat / id / ITS Public Relation Officer)

ITS leaders along with the leader and representatives of BPJPH after the signing of the MoU