Indonesian ombudsman opens online complaint desk for halal certification

JAKARTA — The Ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesia (ORI) has opened an online complaint desk to monitor halal certification registration and issuance, according to Antara. The desk covers both self-declare and regular schemes and runs from October to December 2026.

Ombudsman member Maneger Nasution said in a statement confirmed in Jakarta on Tuesday that the desk allows the public and business operators to report service problems. He cited the approaching deadline for mandatory halal certification in October 2026.

"Halal merchandise is a public right and not merely a label," Maneger said, according to Antara. He said certification should be fast, easy, transparent and should not burden businesses or consumers. (Antara's report quotes Maneger in Indonesian; this translation is Zenga News's.)

According to Antara, the desk follows an agreement between the ORI and the Halal Product Assurance Organizing Agency (BPJPH). Complaints may concern unclear requirements and procedures, registration problems or faults in the SIHALAL application, and difficulty reaching facilitators or auditors from halal inspection bodies (LPH). Reports of requests for money beyond official fees, and of unclear issuance times, can also be filed, Antara said.

Maneger said the ORI would act on reports through its Rapid Response mechanism. Complaints can be sent by WhatsApp to the ORI's Main Assistant VII unit on 0811-909-3737, or by email to team7@ombudsman.go.id, according to the report.

It is not clear from the source how many complaints the desk has received, or how quickly cases will be resolved.

Background

The ORI oversees public services under Law No. 37 of 2008 on the Ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesia and Law No. 25 of 2009 on Public Services, Antara reported. Maneger linked the desk to national economic goals, including supporting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and food security.

Antara also reported a related link to a separate story stating that the government has extended the phased halal certification timeline to 2028. The source did not give details of that extension in the article text.