Malaysia Recognizes Palestinian Halal Certificates and Opens Horizons for National Exports

Ramallah - Afaq News - The Palestinian Standards and Metrology Organization announced that it has received official recognition from the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (JAKIM) as a recognized foreign entity for issuing halal certificates in Palestine, in a move aimed at supporting the industry and national economy and opening new markets for Palestinian products.

The organization clarified in a statement that the recognition came through a certificate issued by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department, which recognized the organization as a foreign entity authorized to issue halal certificates in Palestine for a number of products, including food and beverages, raw materials, cosmetics and personal care products, and pharmaceutical products.

It added that its recognition came after meeting the Malaysian requirements and passing a comprehensive technical audit that lasted for two days.

It noted that due to the inability of the Malaysian audit team to reach Palestine, the Malaysian side agreed to conduct the audit remotely via video conferencing, with oversight from the International Chamber of Commerce in Palestine (ICC Palestine).

The organization confirmed that this recognition represents a new step in its efforts to enhance the quality of Palestinian products and support their ability to access foreign markets, contributing to the service of the industry and national economy.

The Chairman of the Board of the institution, Minister of Industry Arafat Asfour, stated that this recognition represents the fruit of joint work between the institution and its partners, and confirms the importance of developing the national quality infrastructure to support the Palestinian industry.

Asfour added that the institution is working to build on this achievement to open more markets for national products and enhance their competitiveness.

For his part, the CEO of the institution, Haider Hajja, stated that the Malaysian recognition reflects the efficiency of the institution and its ability to meet international technical requirements, noting that it represents a new step in the institution's efforts to enhance the recognition of Palestinian certificates and facilitate the access of national products to new markets, serving the Palestinian industry and the national economy.

In turn, the President of the Palestinian Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture, Abdu Idris, confirmed that this achievement comes within the framework of the unified market initiative of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation – Palestine, one of the initiatives under the umbrella of the International Chamber of Commerce in Palestine (ICC Palestine) affiliated with the Palestinian Chambers Federation, which aims to open the markets of member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to Palestinian products and remove the technical and regulatory barriers that limit their access to these markets.

Idris explained that reaching this achievement came after significant efforts and coordination with the relevant authorities in Malaysia and the International Chamber of Commerce, pointing out that the initiative aims to facilitate the access of Palestinian products to the markets of member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, enhance the recognition of Palestinian certificates and specifications, and address the technical and regulatory obstacles facing exporters.

This recognition adds to the institution's ongoing efforts to develop its technical services and enhance the recognition of Palestinian certificates, which contributes to helping producers overcome technical barriers to export and supports the presence of national products in foreign markets.

The remote auditing experience also provides a practical pathway that can be built upon in the institution's efforts to obtain similar recognitions from other countries, thereby enhancing the chances of Palestinian products reaching new markets.

This achievement came in partnership with the Palestinian Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture and the International Chamber of Commerce in Palestine (ICC Palestine), with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), as part of the Unified Market Initiative of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

The initiative aims to facilitate the access of Palestinian products to the markets of member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, enhance the recognition of Palestinian certificates and specifications, and address the technical and regulatory barriers facing exporters.

The institution also points to the previous role of the Export Program, funded by the British government, in supporting efforts to open markets for national products.