Hawzah News Agency (Riau, Indonesia) - Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Riau are rushing to apply for halal certification as the governor plans to develop the province’s halal tourism sector.

Wan Helya Rosa, the owner of Kedai Yong Bengkalis in Pekanbaru, said she had applied for halal certification at the Indonesian Ulemas Council’s (MUI) Food and Drug Analysis Agency in Riau for her culinary products in support of the plan.

“We support the Riau governor’s halal tourism plan. We’ve finally been certified halal by the MUI in Riau,” she said on Tuesday, as quoted by Antara.

Wan said she hoped the government would promote businesses that had been certified as halal.

Zamzami, another local business owner, said he was enthusiastic about the administration’s halal tourism plan.

“I hope the plan comes with an incentive that allows local businesses to apply for halal certification more easily,” he said, adding that he hoped the administration would also push for a policy that reduced single-use plastics.

Riau Governor Syamsuar issued Gubernatorial Instruction No. 18/2019 on halal tourism on April 5.

“I’ve signed a gubernatorial instruction establishing Riau as a halal tourism destination,” Syamsuar told a press conference on Monday, adding that he expected the halal tourism concept to help boost the local economy. "We can at least compete with Thailand, which has more non-Muslim citizens," he added.