8 Steps To Brunei Halal Brand Certification

With the world Muslim population at around 1.9 billion and the rate of growth of the Muslim populace put at an estimated 2.5 per cent per annum, Brunei's Acting Director of the Department of Agriculture at the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources believes it is an obligation as well as an opportunity to develop a Halal brand.
Hjh Normah Suria Hayati bte PJDSM Date Seri Utama (Dr) Hj Awg Mohd Jamil Al-Sufri spoke at the first seminar yesterday under the topic Halal Products — Opportunities and Challenges With Particular Emphasis on Distribution and Marketing of Halal Products (under the Brunei Halal Brand).
The 2nd International Halal Product Expo wound up yesterday following a series of talks presented during the seminar.
The Brunei Halal Brand is an initiative of the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources (MIPR) in collaboration with the Brunei Islamic Religious Council, Ministry of Religious Affairs (MORA) and the Ministry of Health (MOH), with a “Fardu Kifayah” objective that ensures Muslims have access to Halal quality and safe products.
Other objectives include making the brand globally recognized; to see it as a platform for the development of domestic industries; be an important player in the global Halal industry; improve bilateral relations with partner countries; and for the diversification of the economy and creation of jobs.
According to Hjh Normah, there are eight steps in the Halal Certification Process for those interested in accrediting the products they intend to sell with a Brunei Halal Brand.
The first step is application, where interested parties either write-in or send an email to the Halal Food Control Division; the second step is a check done by the Halal Food Control Division in MORA to find whether the application forms are complete with information and documents; the third step is a desk-audit performed by the Halal Certificate and Halal Label Inspection Committee (consisting of MIPR, MORA and MOH) which meets once a week, where if an application is not approved, the applicant will be notified via fax; and if approved the fourth step will be an on-site inspection done by the Chief Inspector and Food Auditors at the applicant's premise (e.g. abattoir, factory); the fifth step is a preparation of a report by the audit learn, which is submitted to the Inspection Committee, which in turn will be submitted to the Religious Council; the sixth step is a decision made by the Religious Council after consideration or report of the on-site visit, where if an application is not approved, the applicant will be notified by fax; and if it is approved, the seventh step will see the applicant being asked to make payments to the Religious Council - $50 for each Halal permit (i.e. for each food product), and $30 for a certificate; and finally the Halal permit and certificate will be issued by MORA and posted via registered mail to the applicant.
The applicant does not need to renew the permit but will need to renew the certificate.
The new Brunei Halal Accreditation label has also been unveiled and approved by the Religious Council, and will be easily recognised by the consumer. According to Hjh Normah, the dome on the logo is similar to that of the Omar Ali Saifuddien mosque, the blue colour depicts the blue sky, and the design inside the dome is similar to what could be seen around Jame `Asr Mosque with a contemporary Halal font.
Foreign investors are welcome to explore opportunities through joint ventures and foreign direct investment (FDI), she said. "The factories don't necessarily have to be in Brunei; if an investor from another country wishes to sell his/her products through Brunei, they could send in an application for accreditation."
She encouraged foreign investors to come and make their mark in Brunei, and to be closer to the 500 million Asian Muslim market.
Halal accreditation is not restricted to food products. MORA will ensure that there are no non-halal activities conducted in the food industry line of business, which includes the supply of raw materials, manufacturing, packaging, storage, transportation, and other services.
She also spoke about the Brunei Halal Investment of the Agro-Technology Park, with an area of 263 hectares in Tungku alongside the highway to Jerudong, which is currently undergoing infrastructure work. There are two phases of development — Phase 1 is to acquire an investment of $23 million for 50 hectares, and Phase 2 involves the development of the remaining 213 hectares, of which some are earmarked for the development of industries through joint ventures and FDI. It will include a Halal Science Centre, where analysis and research will be conducted to ensure the products conform to the Brunei Halal Accreditation. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin