KUALA LUMPUR (June 30): Dagang NeXchange Bhd (DNeX) has teamed up with the Philippine authorities to develop a Halal hub in the Philippines.

In a statement today, DNeX said its wholly-owned subsidiary Global Market eCommerce Sdn Bhd (GMeC) has signed an agreement with the Department of Education, Naga City Division and the local government of Naga City of the Philippines to implement overall initiatives for the Halal hub including the development of a blueprint, systems and framework.

"These include a Halal trade and import-export ecosystem, Halal logistics and supply chain, Halal marketplace, Halal governance, certification and compliance, Halal verification rapid test kit and Halal track and trace," it added.

DNeX will also be providing Halal-related training, and marketing internationally all certified Halal products within the hub. It will also be involved in the establishment of a Halal accreditation centre.

DNeX executive deputy chairman Datuk Samsul Husin said the group had pledged to work together with its Philippines partners for the development of the Halal hub earlier this year.

"The opportunity in the Halal industry is vast with Muslims accounting for about a quarter of the world's more than 7 billion population," said Mayor City of Naga John G. Bongat.

“Naga City, through this partnership, aspires to tap into this business segment, which is expected to grow as the concept of Halal takes on a stronger foothold. When the Halal ecosystem within our Halal Hub is operational we also plan to connect with other Halal hubs worldwide,” he added.

DNeX is already taking the Halal industry online where companies or individuals can get suppliers or buyers for their products and services, as well as obtain and exchange information on the industry  through GoHalal eMarketplace.

DNex shares closed unchanged at 39.5 sen on Friday, with 6.76 million shares done, bringing a market capitalisation of RM694.27 million.