The Cabinet of Ministers has issued a decree on the national certification of goods and services for compliance with halal standards. The document has been published on Lex.uz.

Certification will be organized according to the regulations set forth by the Institute of Standards and Metrology of Islamic Countries (SMIIC). It will be conducted by specialized bodies authorized by the Agency for Technical Regulation and the Committee for Religious Affairs.

By the beginning of August, it has been instructed to ensure the international accreditation of halal certification bodies. Additionally, by this time, there is a task to approve the type of "Halal" mark for Uzbek goods.

A company wishing to obtain a halal product certificate must submit an application to the certifying body in the approved format. The application must include information about the product (service) and its production, including:

  • documentation (technological maps, instructions, recipes, information about the composition etc.) regarding the production of the product, ingredients, and additives;
  • instructions (regulations, guidelines) for the use or application of the product;
  • test protocols for product safety and compliance with halal requirements;
  • a copy of the contract with an accredited laboratory;
  • a copy of the certificate for the implementation of the quality management system (ISO 9001, ISO 22000).

The application will be reviewed within 3 working days, after which the certifying body will decide whether to accept or reject it. In the case of a positive decision, the applicant will sign a contract and pay for the certification.

Subsequently, specialists will conduct an examination of the documents related to the product (service), and if any deficiencies are found, they will give the applicant up to 3 months to rectify them. If necessary, an on-site evaluation of the production process will also be conducted.

If the certifying body identifies no issues, it will issue a halal compliance certificate valid for three years. However, the validity of the document may be suspended if violations are detected or at the request of the company.

Failure to rectify ongoing violations within 90 days or serious violations of the requirements will be grounds for the certificate’s annulment. This regulation will come into effect three months after publication — starting May 2.

Previously, Spot reported that livestock breeders and poultry farms would receive half of their VAT payments refunded starting April 1.