KARACHI, Nov 23: The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) has initiated measures to formally enter the global Halal food market having huge annual turnover of around $2 trillion.

For creating awareness about the Halal food market the TDAP in collaboration with Halal Development Council (HDC) is organising a World Halal Congress to be held in Karachi on Dec 4, 2010.

The main objective of this congress apart from creating awareness is to apprise exporters that without being certified as Halal food suppliers they could not have their due share in the huge market.

Briefing the media in his office on Tuesday TDAP chief executive Tariq Puri said that to get products enter into Halal food market it would be mandatory that exporters should first get themselves certified.

Having the largest product base amongst all Muslim countries Pakistan has a negligible share in global Halal trade of $2 trillion, the reason being that these products are without proper Halal certification, he maintained.

Mr Puri disclosed that the government is also working on a plan to set up a body with public-private collaboration, which could certify Halal food and sell it as a Halal brand in the world market.

Though the job of certification is of the ministry of science and technology because it involves hygiene, sanitation, standards and quality but the TDAP has a role there due to exports.

Ironically, he said, about 85 per cent of the trillion dollars Halal business is in the hands of non-Muslim countries as they are utilising the Halal brand to their economic benefit.

The Halal market products are not restricted to food but also have other wide ranging items such as cosmetics, pharmaceutical, consumer products and services ranging from Islamic banking to Takaful, supply chain, logistics, hotels and tourism.

Iqbal Puri said presently meat and chicken products have 40 per cent share in global Halal market but there are other sub-sectors of non-food such as textiles and leather garments, water purification to tooth picks and pencils.

He further said the only Muslim countries Malaysia, Indonesia and Turkey have a nominal share in the Halal market followed by Iran. However, Pakistan having the largest product base has a negligible share.

The TDAP chief executive was optimistic of capturing sizeable share in the global Halal market once proper certification and standard operational procedures are adopted by exporters. He further said that Pakistan could become the Halal hub of the region in about one year time, boosting exports substantially through value addition in terms of certification and quality.

Mr Puri disclosed that important personalities, certifiers, scholars from 20 plus countries will be attending the Halal congress and His Eminence Grand Mufti of Bosnia will also grace the occasion with his presence.