IslamicFinance.de

The Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) is hoping to introduce Islamic banking services for its Muslim and non-Muslim clients within one year. In order to educate the public about Islamic banking methods and strategies, ADB sought the help of experts from Deloitte and Touche. Jail Leladhasingh, corporate manager, business development at ADB, said the ADB is exploring the possibility of setting up the bank to offer this alternative service to farmers.

On January 30, the UN High Level Panel started its meeting in Liberia to discuss the current Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and their replacement after they expire in 2015. The focus will be on economic transformation and reduction of poverty. Followers of the financial inclusion project believe increased access to financial services can help achieve these aims and recommend the High Level Panel to develop strategies that help create financial inclusion.

DURBAN-based Al Baraka Bank launched a full international foreign exchange service and now offers a full range of international banking services. As part of the Al Baraka Banking Group it can leverage off the group and its 14 subsidiaries around the world. According to the bank's CE Shabir Chohan, the full foreign exchange service coupled with the recently launched chequebook facility will position the bank as a competitive commercial bank in South Africa.

FNB and Al Baraka Bank froze the bank accounts of Al Aqsa Foundation after it was added to the US Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control list. According to the US departments website Al Aqsa funnels money collected for charitable purposes to Hamas terrorists. However, foundation spokesman Melissa Hoole denied ties to that organisation. Al Baraka had since agreed to allow some activity in the account.

The central bank of Djibouti develops a regulation for Islamic microfinance as it is seen as a strategic tool to fight poverty. The Agence Djiboutienne de Développement Social (ADDS) aims to establish a widespread network for Islamic microfinance.

Fola Daniel, head of the National Insurance Commission (NIC), said the Nigerian insurance market has the capacity to become the biggest in Africa and one of the largest globally. However, a recent study shows that penetration rates of products and services offered by insurance companies are low. In order to achieve a higher coverage, the acceptance of insurance among the wider public needs to be increased. The rising purchasing power of many Nigerians may allow the industry to deepen its penetration and lift earnings.

Genghis Capital, the investment arm of Chase Bank is planning to launch a Shariah-compliant unit trust called the Iman Fund in Kenya next month. The Fund is aimed at Muslim investors with an entry level for investments of minimum 500 Kenyan Shillings ($5.78).

Multinational corporations and nations buy up land in foreign countries, most of them intending to export the production. Oxfam recently published a report about this phenomenon, called land-grabbing and its problems for the local societies. However, the Oxfam’s study also gives recommendations for a possible solution to the dilemma.

José Graziano da Silva - Director-General of Food and Agriculture Organization - and Ilse Aigner - the German Minister of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection - have pointed out the importance of a significant increase in responsible investments in agriculture. Thus the issue of eradicating hunger and feeding a growing world population can be addressed. They further explained that investments in regions with severe rural poverty and hunger are still too low. Efforts should be concentrated on farmers because they play a key role in the rural environment.

The Financial Regulation Advisory Council of Experts (FRACE) were inaugurated by the governor of Central Bank of Nigeria on January 10th in their headquarters. Governor Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi pointed out that the establishment of the FRACE was part of the provisions of the bank's Guidelines aimed at regulating and supervising institutions which offer financial services compliant with Islamic commercial jurisprudence. FRACE will further ensure that products and services offered by the non-interest financial institutions meet the requirements for compliance to the principles underpinning their mode of operation.

The banking facilities of the Al Aqsa Foundation with two banks in South Africa have been recently suspended. Even though the foundation is registered with the South African government as a bona fide charity, it is suspected by the US government to be covertly funnelling funds to Hamas. First National Bank (FNB) gave a notice to the foundation three months in advance before completely shutting its account. The move encountered rather negative reception from the South African Muslim community. It was even called for a boycott of FNB. There have been further discussions on the reasons to close the account and the relations between the bank and the US government.

According to a recent report, the African Charitable Society for Mother and Child Care has signed an agreement which allows access to USD 100,000 from the Islamic Solidarity Fund. The Palestinian fund serves the purpose of elevating the living standard of Muslim people around the world. The money will be used for the establishment of 225 microfinance projects which will support widows and poor women in the outskirts of the capital city of Khartoum. No information is available on whether the financial help is a loan or a grant.

Since the collaboration between the Ethica Institute of Islamic Finance and Haifx Consult is working properly, professionals mow have local access to global Islamic finance certification at subsidized rates. The partnership includes on-the-ground Islamic finance learning centers and mentorship programs. More than half of Nigeria's population of 150 million are Muslim, which explains the striving for growth in the field of Islamic finance in the country.

The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has been a witness of several stimulating initiatives in 2012 which were designed to to encourage growth in capital market activities and give the market depth. An example: Early in 2013, The NSE Lotus Islamic Index was launched to track Shariah-compliant stocks, listing rules were revised, and recently, the central government stopped value added tax (VAT) and stamp duties charged on market transactions. As a whole, the initiatives aim to transform the Nigerian market to make it more attractive for local and foreign portfolio investments and engender investor confidence.

? three-day Financial Literacy Training of Trainers course was organized and held by Silatech - a social enterprise aiming to to increase employment and entrepreneurship among youth in the Middle East and North Africa. 20 instructors from the Sudan Academy for Banking and Financial Sciences (SABFS) took part. After the training, they now can offer a four months long microfinance development program to approximately 1,000 credit officers in Sudan. The materials used in the training were developed by US-based Microfinance Opportunities.

Genghis Capital plans to launch Shariah-compliant unit trust in February aiming to raise stakes in the nascent market mainly tailored for Muslim investors. The unit trust is named Iman Fund and is part of a money markets, equity, diversified and bond unit trusts which the company intend to launch in the very near future. According to the Genghis Capital unit trust consultant, there are many Kenyan investors willing to invest in ventures considered socially responsible. However, so far their options have been limited because religious beliefs forbid most of what is on offer.

A meeting of financial regulators, experts, jurists, academics and stakeholders from all around the world is coming up, aiming to brainstorm on how to strategically promote growth and realign the practices of Islamic finance and economics with a view to opening new frontiers for the growth of the industry. The 4th Langkawi Islamic Finance and Economics (LIFE-4) Global Forum is organized by the Insaniah University, College, Malaysia, together with Deloitte, Islamic Development Bank, IBFIM-Malaysia and Rayyan Ventures Ltd. It will ensure a global platform for discussing key issues around the competitiveness, growth and sustainability of Islamic finance. The LIFE-4 Global Forum will take place mid-February 2013 at Sheraton Hotels and Towers, Langkawi Island, in Malaysia. The forum is titled 'Islamic Financial Planning and Wealth Management as the New Frontier for Global Islamic Banking and Finance Industry'.

2013 is the 38th year for the global Islamic banking industry in its contemporary phase. The start of the new year is filled with invigorated optimism, partly due to its continued proliferation in new markets, particularly in Oman and Arab Spring countries. Another reason for the optimistic attitude is the impressive momentum of the sukuk market. However, the Islamic finance industry tends to be beguiled by its own relative success largely because of the absence of independent evaluation of its performance and policy and architectural development.

Gambia will receive a grant of US$20.28 million from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to use for improving livelihoods of smallholder farmers. Particular attention will be paid to rural women and youths in the country. Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs Abdou Kolley and president of IFAD Kanayo F. Nwanze signed the financing agreement for the National Agriculture Land and Water Management Development Project. Agriculture is a sector of significant importance in Gambia since it employs more than 72% of the population and contribuets about 30% to the gross domestic product.

Dear Reader,

Islamic finance had another great year. Many of its market segments progressed, like for example the Sukuk market gaining more maturity. Despite the ongoing debt crisis a good sign of hope and happiness.

Nevertheless we are - as an industry - still not satisfied with the achievements. Islamic finance shall grow stronger in terms of social impact and in terms of substance:

Hence, please allow me to re-iterate my call for participating in international initiatives beyond just our own industry to learn and spread knowledge and experience:

Calling Islamic financial institutions to become member of the United Nations Finance Initiative
http://www.islamicfinance.de/?q=node/811

Inshallah we see more Islamic financial institutions taking a lead in SRI, Social Impact Investing and other approaches while contributing with Islamic finance knowdledge to the conventional industry. The time is now; and there are signs that Malaysia aims for a lead:
http://www.islamicfinance.de/?q=node/4151