IslamicFinance.de

The Maldives is working towards enlarging its Islamic finance industry to diversify its economy away from tourism. The country aims to become an investment hub for South Asia and centre for the halal industry in the region. To that end, President Yameen Abdul Gayyoom’s government has developed a roadmap to expand Islamic financial services throughout the archipelago. Last year, the Ministry of Economic Development started offering Islamic microfinancing through the Bank of Maldives, and earlier in 2016, the government launched Hazana Maldives, a special-purpose vehicle for the further development of Islamic finance. It also created a Shariah advisory board and laid the regulatory framework for sukuk investment.

The growth of the Islamic finance industry has generated considerable interest and discussion in the financial world markets in recent years. According to a Senior Lecturer at the University of Nairobi School of Business Abdulatif Essajee, lack of information has inhibited the growth of the sector in Kenya. He projects a 25% growth in the coming years. The fastest growing segment in the world is the Issuance of Islamic bonds (Sukuk). In Kenya, the fastest growing segment is Islamic banking.

Fitch Ratings #Indonesia has assigned National Long-Term Ratings of 'AAA(idn)' to Indosat Ooredoo's IDR 3,172 bn senior unsecured bonds and IDR 288 bn sukuk ijarah issues. The issues are launched from Indosat Ooredoo's IDR 9 trn bond programme and IDR 1 trn sukuk ijarah programme. Indosat Ooredoo will use the issue proceeds to refinance its existing rupiah debt, and to fund licence fees. The sukuk rating is at the same level as Indosat Ooredoo's National Long-Term Rating of 'AAA(idn)'. Fitch's rating for the certificates reflects the agency's belief that Indosat Ooredoo would stand behind its obligations.

Ivory Coast plans to complete a sale of 150 billion CFA francs ($263 million) worth of Islamic bonds, following Togo's debut sale of sovereign sukuk launched last month. The two West African nations join Senegal in tapping the market for sukuk, expanding the use of Islamic financing options outside the Middle East and Southeast Asia. The Ivory Coast will sell the 7-year sukuk using ijara with the subscription period closing on Aug. 31. This represents the second phase of a 300 billion CFA franc sukuk programme set up last year by the Ivory Coast. Togo plans to complete the sale of its sukuk later this week, aiming to raise 150 billion CFA franc with a 10-year maturity and a 6.5% yield. The lead arranger for both the Togo and Ivory Coast sukuk is the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD).

Tun Abdullah Badawi, the former Prime Minister of #Malaysia, has launched the Waqf (Islamic Endowment) crowdfunding platform or WaqfWorld. The new platform was announced at the 12th World Islamic Economic Foundation Forum (WIEF) held in Jakarta last week. The platform was developed in partnership with EthisVentures.com. Founding patron, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi saw the potential of Waqf Crowdfunding to develop the whole community of Muslims. WaqfWorld.org does not charge beneficiaries or users any fees. The platform is completely free during the initial phase. Operational costs will be partially borne by voluntary contributions, and other resources provided by Ethis Ventures.

Technology financier Malaysia Debt Ventures Bhd (MDV) plans to raise RM1bil via sukuk in the fourth quarter of this year. The planned issuance is aimed to increase MDV's lending ability including to start-ups. CEO Datuk Md Zubir Ansori Yahaya said the new sukuk issuance would likely have a government-guarantee status. Md Zubir said the funds from the new sukuk, which will likely have a 10-15 year tenure, could be rolled out and replenished until end-2017. To-date, MDV has approved a total of RM9.8bil in financing support to 700 innovation, technology and information technology-based companies including Iris Corp, Puncak Semangat and MOL Global Inc.

Inflows in debt vehicles issued by Muslim Southeast Asian nations have increased in the recent past. Malaysia and Indonesia are greatly benefiting from their current monetary easing policies, relaxed tax policies and government infrastructure spending programs. The Pan-Borneo Highway project adds to other sukuk issuances, among them a $1.3bn-offer by Sarawak Hidro, the state-owned developer of Malaysia’s biggest hydropower project, also on Borneo Island. Other infrastructure sukuk in the queue are a $440mn-issuance for the bridge connecting Peninsular Malaysia with Penang island and a $892mn-issuance for a highway network. Indonesia’s government is also enlarging the scope of sukuk-backed investment in roads and railways. However, the state budget is only capable of contributing 30%, which means that a large number of future issuances can be expected, with its uptake spurred by generous tax incentives.

Executives of Indonesian and Malaysian stock markets signed on Tuesday a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the establishment of a World Sharia Stock Market Center. Signing of the document was conducted by Indonesia Stock Exchange President Director Tito Sulistio and his Malaysian counterpart Tajuddin Bin Atan. The planned center aims to develop Sharia products and portfolios for stock markets, but also to train human resources to become competent, professional and skillful persons in the industry. Global Sharia financial market was estimated to expand to USD 3.24 trillion by 2020.

Indonesia's sukuk market is thriving. The Southeast Asian nation raised US$2.5 billion from its sale of US dollar Islamic bonds in March, snatching orders for over three times the amount offered. It was the biggest ever Asian US dollar sukuk offering. Indonesia’s government is speeding up investment in roads and railways amid pressure from President Joko Widodo. Even with a reduced allocation this year, Indonesia’s Public Works Ministry has spent a bigger proportion of its budget in the first half compared with 2015.

QIIB announced the issuance of QR1bn Sukuk. The Sukuk aims at boosting the Bank's Tier 1 Capital to maintain a higher Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) complying with the Basel III norms. Last year QIIB shareholders had approved the Bank's proposal to raise up to QR3bn through Sukuk issuance.
A higher capital adequacy will not only help the Bank's risks absorption capacity but also expected to promote financial stability and efficiency of the Shairah compliant banking services provider.

Investors from the Islamic financial world could be the answer to Italy’s problems in the wake of the Brexit. On a recent conference in Italy, participants said this would require legislative changes to follow Islamic principles. A working group at the Lower House’s financial commission is looking into the matter. Participants also suggested issuing State bonds following the rules of Islamic finance. Under the proposal, the assets would consist of State-owned real estate, bought and re-sold by a company set up for the purpose, whose participating shares would be bought by investors.

Khazanah Nasional, the $27 billion Malaysian sovereign fund, is weighing a bid for control of the insurance operations of billionaire Quek Leng Chan’s Hong Leong Financial Group. Khazanah is considering an offer for Hong Leong Financial’s 70% stake in Hong Leong Assurance and its 65% holding in Hong Leong MSIG Takaful. The bid could be valued at about 3.2 billion ringgit ($799 million). Hong Leong Financial said last month that Malaysia’s central bank had no objection to the sale of its stakes in the two insurance units.

The State of Osun in southwestern Nigeria raised a sukuk bond worth 10 billion naira ($62 mn) from the capital market to fund educational development. After the recent trend of Eurobond issuance by African countries, Osun’s offering was sowing the seeds for more African sukuk. Prior to Osun, only Gambia and Sudan had issued local-currency short-term domestic notes. Osun's Governor Rauf Aregbesola believes that the potential of Islamic finance can also attract investors from the Middle East. Osun State’s planned multi-billion naira sukuk fund for education represents Nigeria’s most ambitious attempt to promote Islamic finance.

The Steering Committee of Sitara Chemicals received laudation for the promotion of Islamic Banking in #Pakistan. The Committee was headed by Mr Saeed Ahmed, Deputy Governor State Bank of Pakistan. Sitara Chemicals has shared with Islamic debt investors its profits without comprising on true Musharakah principles. This fact is evident from the level of rate of return offered by the Company on its earlier Islamic debt issues. In 2012 Sitara Chemicals signed an agreement for design and procurement of Coal Based Power Plant having Capacity of 38.5 MW. Total Project cost was estimated at Rs 3.1 billion and Diminishing Musharika Facility Rs 2 billion from syndication of renowned Islamic Banks of Pakistan. In July 2016, this project has been commissioned and trial production has started. First instalment of this facility has been repaid as per its planned schedule.

The State of Osun in southwestern Nigeria raised a sukuk bond worth ten billion naira ($62 mn) from the capital market to fund educational development. After the recent trend of Eurobond issuance by African countries, Osun’s offering was sowing the seeds for more African sukuk. Prior to Osun, only Gambia and Sudan had issued local-currency short-term domestic notes. Osun's Governor Rauf Aregbesola believes that the potential of Islamic finance can also attract investors from the Middle East. Osun State’s planned multi-billion naira sukuk fund for education represents Nigeria’s most ambitious attempt to promote Islamic finance.

#Saadiq, synonymous with "truthful" in Arabic, is the brand name for Standard Chartered’s global Islamic banking services. Currently Saadiq provides a comprehensive range of Shariah compliant international banking services across the wholesale and consumer banking. To ensure that Standard Chartered Saadiq products comply with the principles of Shariah, it consults an independent committee comprising three of the world’s most renowned Shariah scholars – Dr Abdul Sattar Abu Ghuddah, Sheikh Nizam Yaquby and Dr Mohammed Ali Elgari.

The Pan-Borneo Highway in East Malaysia, a jumbo project estimated to cost 27 bin ringgit ($9.16 bn), is finally starting to take shape as the federal government prepares to launch initial funding to start the construction. The selected group of banks includes the four top Malaysian lenders: CIMB, AmInvestment Bank, Maybank and RHB. About 60 per cent of the project will eventually be funded with proceeds from ringgit-denominated Islamic bonds to be issued through federal government funding vehicle DanaInfra Nasional. The first batch of bonds, wrapped with a federal government guarantee, is expected to raise around 10 billion ringgit. The launch is timed for August or September.

In #South Africa First National Bank (FNB), Al Baraka and HBZ Bank are the only financial institutions offering Islamic banking services. These banks offer a range of Islamic cheque accounts, Islamic savings accounts and Islamic investment accounts as well as vehicle, property and asset finance. CEO of FNB Islamic Banking Amman Muhammad says the bank has seen a consistent rise in the number of South Africans taking up the bank’s transactional banking and investment, vehicle and property finance products irrespective of faith. Customers are looking for an alternative banking form and FNB can offer a principles-based approach. Muhammad says the normal regulatory and risk rules apply to all Islamic banking products.

According to Standard & Poor’s the global sukuk market is expected to undergo correction for the next 6 to 18 months. The total issuance of sukuk fell in the first half of the year by 12.5% in contrast with the booming conventional debt as the oil exporting countries tapped the market to raise funding. The correction in the sukuk space started with Bank Negara Malaysia’s decision last year to stop the issue of short-term sukuk and switch to other instruments for liquidity management for Islamic financial institutions. S&P global head of Islamic finance Mohamed Damak said the positive news for sukuk is that the European Central Bank is opening its liquidity tap and with yields low, that could push investors to look at the sukuk market. He added that the sukuk industry needs more standardisation otherwise volumes will likely remain low.

Recent regulations on sukuk are helping growth in Oman's Islamic banking sector, with sharia-compliant lenders gaining ground. Growth of Islamic banking is far outstripping that of the conventional banking segment with Islamic banking assets up more than 62% year-on-year (y-o-y) at the end of March. In contrast with the performance of the Islamic segment of the market, assets of conventional commercial banks rose by 9.1% y-o-y to the end of March to OR28.6bn ($74.3bn). The new regulations released by the Capital Market Authority (CMA) in April clarify requirements for issuing sukuk and provide a legal framework. According to Sheikh Abdullah bin Al Salmi, executive president of the CMA, the new regulations are expected to expand the range of investment instruments available in the sector.