WORKING GROUP ON HALAL PRODUCTS & SERVICES
WORKING GROUP ON HALAL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES (WGHAPAS)
Expanding the Halal Economy Across Borders
The Working Group on Halal Products and Services (WGHAPAS) strengthens IMT-GT’s position in the global halal market by promoting standards, certification, and cross-border collaboration. It supports a robust halal ecosystem with skilled professionals, stronger SMEs, and wider consumer access.
OBJECTIVES
- Greater global acceptance of IMT-GT member countries’ halal standards
- A larger pool of technical experts and professionals in halal-related industries
- Halal export-oriented SMEs
- More halal manufacturers and service providers
- Better consumer access to halal products and services
OPPORTUNITIES
- Sizeable market potential reaching $2.3 trillion by 2024 (DinarStandard)
- Increases in the global spending on halal food and beverages Potential growth in Islamic fintech, supply chain shifts, food security investments, domestic tourism, and accelerated digital transformation
CHALLENGES
- Disintegrated halal market due to a lack of harmonised certification system
- Shortages of expertise and skilled workers
- Lack of capacity and resources among the MSMEs to adopt digitalisation
PROJECTS
- IMT-GT Halal Blockchain (Flagship Project)
- Cooperation with Halal Certification Bodies
- Halal Expertise Exchange through Halal Knowledge Expertise (HKE)
Leader's Summit
The IMT-GT Leaders’ Summit is the highest decision-making body of the subregion. It provides strategic policy direction, fosters consensus on key economic and social development priorities, and guides subregional cooperation and integration among member countries. The Summit also reinforces political commitment at the highest level, ensuring that IMT-GT remains aligned with regional and global development agendas. Its outcomes set the vision and long-term trajectory for the subregion’s collective progress.
Ministerial Meeting
The Ministerial Meeting (MM) provides overall guidance on IMT-GT’s strategic blueprints. It sets policy directions, addresses emerging challenges, and serves as a platform for ministers to exchange views and strengthen cross-sectoral coordination. The MM translates the vision of the Leaders’ Summit into actionable strategies, ensuring coherence across national policies. It also provides a venue for ministers to reaffirm their commitment to advancing IMT-GT’s shared goals.
CHIEF MINISTERS AND GOVERNORS’ FORUM
The Chief Ministers and Governors’ Forum (CMGF) bridges national and local priorities by aligning subregional initiatives with provincial and state-level development plans. It raises awareness of IMT-GT opportunities and facilitates bottom-up projects that deliver direct benefits to communities. The Forum empowers local leaders to take ownership of IMT-GT initiatives, ensuring that development is inclusive and responsive to grassroots needs. It also strengthens people-to-people connectivity by linking communities across borders.
SENIOR OFFICIALS’ MEETING
The Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) serves as the central mechanism for coordination and policy alignment within IMT-GT. It determines implementation priorities, monitors progress, harmonises policies, and ensures the effective implementation of IMT-GT programmes and projects. The SOM plays a pivotal role in translating ministerial guidance into operational plans. It also oversees the effectiveness of measures and strategies, fosters cross-sectoral collaboration to address emerging challenges, and encourages shared responsibilities across IMT-GT bodies.
NATIONAL SECRETARIATS
Each Member Country maintains a National Secretariat (NS) to coordinate and monitor IMT-GT initiatives at the national level. Serving as the national focal point, the NS integrates IMT-GT programmes into national development agendas and ensures adequate policy and resource support from national government. It also strengthens institutional linkages, fostering closer collaboration among agencies and stakeholders. In addition, the NS plays a vital role in supporting integrative planning, providing cross-sectoral solutions, and ensuring robust coordination and collaboration between national governments and subnational governments, as well as between central agencies and line agencies.
WORKING GROUPS
The Working Groups (WGs) serve as the implementation arms of IMT-GT. Each WG focuses on a specific strategic pillar, translating policies into actionable projects that strengthen cooperation and deliver tangible results across the subregion. They provide technical expertise, develop sectoral strategies, and ensure that initiatives are aligned with both national priorities and IMT-GT’s overarching vision. By fostering collaboration among member countries and engaging with stakeholders, the WGs play a vital role in driving progress and ensuring that IMT-GT commitments deliver concrete results across the subregion. Convergence meetings between the Working Groups can be held to enhance cross-sectoral collaboration and align strategies to accelerate project implementation. Some WGs require specialised technical expertise to effectively carry out their mandates. To facilitate the implementation of projects, smaller technical entities may be established to provide focused support. These entities (commonly referred to as Sub-Working Group, Project Implementation Team, or Task Forces) serve as dedicated mechanisms to address specific technical, operational, or cross-sectoral needs. By complementing the broader work of the WGs, they help ensure that projects are implemented with precision, timeliness, and practical solutions tailored to complex challenges.
CENTRE FOR IMT-GT SUBREGIONAL COOPERATION
The Centre for IMT-GT Subregional Cooperation (CIMT) serves as the central secretariat for the IMT-GT framework. Its role is to initiate, advise, coordinate, facilitate, implement, monitor, and evaluate IMT-GT programmes, projects, and activities, ensuring they are effectively delivered and aligned with the subregion’s strategic priorities. The Centre also plays a catalytic role in accomplishing IMT-GT goals through facilitating, coordinating, monitoring, and evaluating the implementation of programmes, projects, and activities. Some WGs require specialised technical expertise to effectively carry out their mandates. To facilitate the implementation of projects, smaller technical entities may be established to provide focused support. These entities (commonly referred to as Sub-Working Group, Project Implementation Team, or Task Forces) serve as dedicated mechanisms to address specific technical, operational, or cross-sectoral needs. By complementing the broader work of the WGs, they help ensure that projects are implemented with precision, timeliness, and practical solutions tailored to complex challenges.
JOINT BUSINESS COUNCIL (JBC)
The Joint Business Council (JBC) represents the private sector within IMT-GT, promoting trade and investment while channelling business perspectives into policy discussions. Through strong public–private collaboration, it supports the implementation of IMT-GT projects and helps align them with market opportunities. The JBC also plays a vital role in fostering entrepreneurship, enhancing competitiveness, and building networks that connect businesses across borders, thereby driving inclusive economic growth in the subregion. Some WGs require specialised technical expertise to effectively carry out their mandates. To facilitate the implementation of projects, smaller technical entities may be established to provide focused support. These entities (commonly referred to as Sub-Working Group, Project Implementation Team, or Task Forces) serve as dedicated mechanisms to address specific technical, operational, or cross-sectoral needs. By complementing the broader work of the WGs, they help ensure that projects are implemented with precision, timeliness, and practical solutions tailored to complex challenges.
UNIVERSITY NETWORK (UNINET)
The IMT-GT University Network (UNINET) connects higher education institutions across the subregion. Established in 1996, UNINET initially comprised eight universities in the network. The signing of the UNINET Charter in 2017 had further institutionalized UNINET as a subregional body and formalised its cooperation agenda. To date, 32 public universities are members of UNINET. It promotes research collaboration, academic exchange, and innovation, recognising the critical role of education in driving economic and social progress. Some WGs require specialised technical expertise to effectively carry out their mandates. To facilitate the implementation of projects, smaller technical entities may be established to provide focused support. These entities (commonly referred to as Sub-Working Group, Project Implementation Team, or Task Forces) serve as dedicated mechanisms to address specific technical, operational, or cross-sectoral needs. By complementing the broader work of the WGs, they help ensure that projects are implemented with precision, timeliness, and practical solutions tailored to complex challenges.
ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK (ADB)
ADB has been involved in the IMT-GT initiative since its inception, and has been a Development Partner since 2007. ADB’s support to IMT-GT covers a wide range of technical assistance. It has been playing a key role as an adviser on policy and technical matters, a trusted facilitator in fostering partnership, and a mobiliser of funding. ADB supports the implementation of IMT-GT strategic initiatives, in close collaboration with the working groups, national secretariats, the CIMT and other subregional mechanisms and strengthens partnership building and resource mobilisation. Some WGs require specialised technical expertise to effectively carry out their mandates. To facilitate the implementation of projects, smaller technical entities may be established to provide focused support. These entities (commonly referred to as Sub-Working Group, Project Implementation Team, or Task Forces) serve as dedicated mechanisms to address specific technical, operational, or cross-sectoral needs. By complementing the broader work of the WGs, they help ensure that projects are implemented with precision, timeliness, and practical solutions tailored to complex challenges.
Centre for IMT-GT Subregional Cooperation (CIMT)
Office 3A, Level 3, Block C, Menara PjH, Precinct 2, 62100, Putrajaya, Malaysia
Indonesia
Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs (CMEA)
Malaysia
Ministry of Economy
Thailand
Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC)
