The workshop was held by the Vietnam Certification Centre (QUACERT) under the Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality (STAMEQ), in collaboration with the Institute for Africa and Middle East Studies (IAMES) under the Vietnam Academy Of Social Sciences.
The event drew the attendance of Acting Director General of STAMEQ Ha Minh Hiep, Ambassador of Malaysia to Vietnam Dato’Tan Yang Thai, among other domestic and international delegates and experts.
The Halal market is considered a potential market and an opportunity for Vietnam to develop the Halal industry. According to an analysis by the Halal Development Corporation Berhad from Malaysia, the global Halal market reached 3,000 billion USD in 2020 and is estimated to reach 5,000 billion USD in 2030.
Vietnam has a great strength in exporting agricultural and aquatic products and a geographical advantage, as it is located near large Halal consuming markets, such as Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. However, the food import and export activities between Vietnamese businesses and the Halal market are just beginning.
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Acting Director General of the STAMEQ Ha Minh Hiep speaks at the workshop. (Photo: the organisers) |
Addressing the workshop, Acting Director General of STAMEQ Ha Minh Hiep said that supporting businesses to participate in the Halal market is an important task that the Party and State always give attention to and assign the directorate.
“The workshop provided keys for businesses and related agencies to take advantage of the scientific and practical bases towards helping Vietnam truly integrate into the world’s Halal industry and confidently invest and develop the Halal market in Vietnam”, he added.
At the event, the delegates delivered many reports and presentations on various issues, including Vietnam's potential and opportunities for a Halal economy and culture, national Halal standards system and orientation for developing standards for the Halal industry in Vietnam, with Halal certification support for Vietnam’s involvement to the Halal global market.
The workshop also discussed and evaluated the current status and prospects for the Halal industry in Vietnam while proposing new measures and policies to strengthen cooperation and take advantage of international resources to improve the capacity of Vietnamese businesses to participate in the production and supply chains of Halal products and services worldwide.
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Malaysian Ambassador to Vietnam Dato’Tan Yang Thai speaks at the workshop. (Photo: the organisers) |
“This workshop is a great start for businesses and industries interested in venturing into the halal economy, to have a basic understanding of the halal concepts, as this will involve significant investment and effort to meet the halal standards”, noted Malaysian Ambassador to Vietnam Dato’Tan Yang Thai.
Vietnam has been actively exploring partnership on halal with its Muslim counterparts such as Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates, in order to tap into the global halal economy, he added.
To support businesses in accessing accurate information about Halal standards of international markets and Halal certification requirements, the Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality will establish the National Halal Certification Centre. This will be an official national certification agency providing certifications for products, goods and services in accordance with Halal standards; organising training and coaching activities on Halal standards and requirements for Vietnamese organisations and businesses; and carrying out international cooperation activities in the field of Halal.
The STAMEQ and QUACERT are in the process of developing the halal standard for Vietnam and diligently engaging with the relevant international partners and agencies, including Malaysia, to ensure that the halal certification issued by the competent Vietnamese agencies is globally recognised.
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QUARCERT’s Director Tran Quoc Dung delivers a presentation at the workshop. (Photo: the organisers) |
“We believe that based on the results from the workshop, the cooperation among all sides will be further strengthened to serve the Muslim community and the Halal economy towards meeting the requirements of the Government in developing the Halal industry by 2030”, said the QUARCERT’s Director Tran Quoc Dung.
The Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality will continue to study and complete a set of national standards for Halal products and services in harmony with standards of the international and regional markets and importers.
The QUACERT and IAMES signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation at the workshop, aiming to develop knowledge and certification standards and services as well as boosting international cooperation on Halal for organisations, businesses, students and various government agencies.
