Halal Council Recognized as a Key Enabler in Sri Lanka’s Export Economy

The Halal Accreditation Council (HAC) for the 2^nd consecutive year, has been conferred with Gold at the 31^st National Chamber of Exporters (NCE) Export Awards, acknowledging its role as a key enabler in Sri Lanka’s export economy, held on December 8th, 2023.

From L to R: Usama Zaid, Head of Business Development, Mohammed Nafas, Head of Quality Assurance, Aakif A Wahab, Director – CEO, T K Azoor, Director, Mohammed Rushdi, Accountant.

In alignment with the government’s Vision 2048, Sri Lanka underscores the pivotal role played by Sri Lankan exporters in rebuilding the economy.

HAC in advancing the national export strategy, facilitates Sri Lankan exporters to tap into the expanding Global Halal food industry, projected to reach US$1.67 trillion by 2025, with Sri Lanka’s Halal-certified product exports estimated at US$1.7 billion in 2022.

HAC has engaged in various activities to foster Sri Lankan exports. In August 2023, HAC accompanied a Sri Lankan Trade delegation to Thailand, with the primary objective of promoting bilateral trade of Halal-certified products, before the much-anticipated Free Trade Agreement between the two nations.

In September 2023, HAC’s participation at the Global Halal Summit held in Malaysia advanced relationships with key stakeholders representing 47 countries, including government regulators and certification bodies operating in key export destinations.

HAC’s participation at the 13th International Halal Certification Bodies Convention 2023, held in Malaysia. From L to R: Annes Junaid, Director, Ali Fatharally, Managing Director, Rizvi Zaheed, Director,  Aakif A Wahab, CEO-Director.

The Council, being accredited for standards ISO 17065:2018 & GSO 2055-2:2015, recognizes that food safety and quality are global imperatives for international buyers. HAC’s standards mandate manufacturers to establish control over all stages of food production and processing, including food safety requirements. As part of the organization’s initiative to build capacity within the Sri Lankan Food & Beverage Industry on International Halal standards, it has thus far inducted over 1,000 individuals from MSMEs, Food Franchises, and Large & Multinational enterprises.

Sri Lankan Halal certified products hold significant potential in non-Muslim majority countries, including the Russian Federation, the United States of America, Germany, the Netherlands, India, and the United Kingdom. Furthermore, Muslim-majority countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Azerbaijan have shown promising acceptance of Sri Lanka’s Halal-certified exports.

Aakif A. Wahab, Director & Chief Executive Officer at HAC, stated, “We are humbled to receive this industry accolade, confirming on merit our independent efforts to uplift the Sri Lankan export economy. Moving forward, a clear state policy on Halal must be established, as is the case in countries like Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore, to name a few, ensuring sustainability and enabling Sri Lankan exporters to further benefit from the lucrative global Halal market.”