News From : DagangHalal.com (01 Apr 2009)
Malaysia has attracted the interest of several countries for its consultancy services on halal certification through the Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC). Among the countries keen to utilise such services are Turkey, China and the Chechen Republic.
Various discussions have been held with the countries interested, beginning with the Ningxia government in China, said the government’s initiatives and achievements report (November 2003-March 2009) released by the Prime Minister’s Department today.
HDC was set up on Sept 18, 2006, with the aim of developing the halal industry.
It has succeeded in improving the halal certification process, cutting down the waiting period to 30 days from six to eight months previously.
Since April 2, 2008, the halal certification approval panel has held six meetings and approved a total of 517 applications.
For international certifications, a total of 11 applications have been approved, including from Thailand, Australia and China, the report said.
It added that a one-stop centre has been set up to facilitate investors in getting information on Malaysia’s halal and related services.
Source from : BERNAMA