Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr. Ahmed Zahir has said that a digital Halal system will be introduced to the Maldives in the near future. He made remarks while speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the Halal Ecosystem Development 2023. The workshop was held in the Islamic Centre in collaboration with Serunai Commerce, a Malaysian-based organisation, as part of the efforts to introduce the digital halal system in the Maldives.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Minister Zahir said that the process of issuing Halal certificates in the Maldives started in April 2014. He said seven companies are currently using the Halal certification service and more than 100 products of different types of exported fish have been issued Halal certificates.
Additionally, Minister Zahir said there are many challenges in issuing Halal certificates to products in the Maldives. He noted that there are few trained professionals to conduct laboratory tests on such products and there is little awareness among the public about Halal certification in the Maldives. He also said that the lack of a specific legal framework for Halal certification is the main issue.
Furthermore, Minister Zahir said that the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and Serunai Commerce have held discussions in preparation to establish a digital halal system in the Maldives. He said they discussed that exports to the Maldives could be tracked, tested, and monitored through a digitalised system. He said discussions have been held to provide industry information and training in addition to establishing a laboratory to conduct tests on products. In addition, he said that the digital halal system will be introduced in the Maldives in the near future with the assistance of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB).