Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH) aims to accelerate growth of the national halal industry in 2026, strengthening certification systems and expanding international recognition to cement the sector’s role in the economy.“The year 2026 is a momentum to accelerate the national halal industry,” BPJPH head Ahmad Haikal Hasan said in a statement issued in Jakarta on Tuesday, expressing optimism about stronger growth in the halal business ecosystem.He said the halal value chain contributed 27 percent of Indonesia’s gross domestic product in 2025, equivalent to about 4,832 trillion rupiah (US$81.5 billion), underscoring the sector’s expanding role in Southeast Asia’s largest economy.“The trend proves the halal industry is not a fringe sector but a vital driver of the national economy,” Hasan said, adding the agency would reinforce the halal product assurance system to support sustained growth.BPJPH will also seek broader international recognition of Indonesia’s halal certification, including through cooperation with overseas institutions and domestic partners such as the National Alms Agency, or Baznas.On Feb. 27, Hasan signed mutual halal recognition agreements in Jakarta with institutions from Shanghai and Shenzhen in China, as well as counterparts from the Philippines and Mexico, according to the statement.He also formalized a cooperation pact with Baznas to facilitate the collection of Islamic philanthropic funds from BPJPH employees, aligning halal industry development with Islamic social finance initiatives.Baznas Head Noor Achmad welcomed the strengthened certification framework, saying improved legal certainty and consumer protection could expand opportunities for local businesses operating in the halal sector.He said synchronizing halal industry programs with zakat collection efforts marked a strategic step toward sustainable empowerment of Muslim communities and broader economic inclusion.Under President Prabowo Subianto’s Asta Cita agenda, Indonesia is seeking to position itself as a global hub for the Islamic economy by bolstering halal enterprises and optimizing Islamic financial assets such as zakat and waqf.In the 2024–2025 State of the Global Islamic Economy Report, Indonesia retained its ranking as the world’s third-largest Islamic economy with a Global Islamic Economy Indicator score of 99.9 and secured US$1.60 billion from 40 halal investment deals.