IslamicFinance.de

MasterCard partnered with Al-Arafah Islami Bank to launch the MasterCard Islamic debit, credit and prepaid cards in Bangladesh. five new MasterCard cards will be added to the bank's repertoire. The cards will offer the lowest monthly compliance fees, 50 days without any additional charges, along with discounts at over 600 merchants and vendors. Jamilur Reza Choudhury, vice-chancellor of Asia Pacific University, attended the launching ceremony as the chief guest along with Badiur Rahman, chairman of Al-Arafah Islami Bank, and Syed Mohammad Kamal, country manager of MasterCard Bangladesh.

Deloitte and Noor Telecom have collaborated with Dubai Islamic Economy Development Center (DIEDC) for the compilation of a report that highlights the untapped potential of the Digital Islamic Services market and offers key recommendations for realizing Dubai's vision of emerging as the capital of Islamic economy. The report whose title is ‘The Digital Islamic Services Landscape: Uncovering the Digital Islamic Services opportunity for the Middle East and the World’ combines a range of qualitative and quantitative research projects conducted for the offline and online markets around the world. The report defines the Digital Islamic Services landscape under nine key industry verticals and areas, which constitute the pillars of the global Islamic economy online.

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has expressed hope that Indonesia will become a shariah financial center in view of the countrys huge potentials. He spoke at the launching of the "I Love Shariah Finance" campaign initiated by the Financial Service Authority (OJK). OJK chairman Muliaman D Hadad said that although the shariah finance has grown fast it is still relatively small compared to other national financial services. He said 12 shariah general banks with 22 shariah units in the country are owned by conventional banks and 163 shariah BPRs (local banks) with total assets worth Rp264.81 trillion and a market share of 4.88 percent. Until March 2015 total shariah shares traded at the shariah capital market reached Rp3,037.46 trillion with corporate bonds reached Rp7.1 trillion and shariah mutual funds Rp11.7 trillion.

Finance Minister of Bangladesh AMA Muhith has urged governors of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) to push for a community-based partnership and come out of traditional financing models for a prosperous Islamic world. Muhith suggested leaders of the Islamic countries should work together to pull up the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) region towards achieving healthy human development and securing strong, sustainable economic growth. He was speaking to OIC leaders at the 40th annual meeting of the Islamic Development Bank Group at Maputo, Mozambique. Currently, IDB's support for low-income members is stymied by not just a lack of adequate development funds but by its relatively higher cost as well, Muhith said.

The International Chamber of Commerce Nigeria(ICCN) is set to admit about 11 new members at its 16th annual general meeting billed for Lagos this month. ICCN secretary-general, Mrs. Olubunmi Osuntuyi, said in a statement that the new members are: Anu Eso & Co., Enterprise Transport & Logistics Ltd., Heritage Banking Company Ltd., Jaiz Bank Plc., Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce, Nigerian Ports Authority, Norfolk Partners, Onwuamaegbu & Co., Rand Merchant Bank Ltd., Sola Ephraim-Oluwanuga & Co. and Strachan Partners. The statement said the AGM which would be sponsored by Sterling Bank Plc would feature the traditional Post- AGM Talk to be delivered by Bismarck Rewane.

Islamic financial services are one of the top priorities for Turkey’s presidency of the G20, a senior Turkish finance official said on Wednesday. Speaking at a meeting of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) in Mozambique’s capital Maputo, Deputy Undersecretary of the Turkish Treasury Burhanettin Aktas said Turkey believed strongly in the vital role the Islamic finance industry had to play in infrastructure and small-medium-enterprise (SME) financing. According to Aktas, Turkey has one of the highest growth potentials for Islamic financial services among the Organization of Islamic Cooperation countries, Turkey has developed new products, established a state-owned Islamic bank and plans to open two more state-owned Islamic banks.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s plans to grow Islamic banking in Turkey may be facing an uncertain future. The ruling AK Party - formerly led by Erdogan - failed to win enough seats at the general election to form a single-party government. The result was a blow to the power of the man who has driven the industry in Turkey. The vote raises the possibility of a minority administration, a coalition government or another election in the $800 billion economy. Stocks, bonds and the lira plunged the day after the vote. Turkey’s cabinet appointed Mehmet Ali Akben to head the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency in May. Akben is known to be strongly supportive of the government’s participation banking agenda. Still, political uncertainty could drag on.

Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has approved a four-member sharia advisory board to oversee Islamic financial products in the country, as the regulator looks to address credibility concerns. The board, which comprises three religious scholars and a technical member, would advise SECP on a range of issues including the operation, auditing and reporting of Islamic mutual funds, pensions and insurance operators. Besides, in February, the SECP published long-awaited rules for the issuance of sukuk as part of efforts to strengthen governance and broaden their appeal to investors. Oman's central bank set up a sharia supervisory board last October, with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates also developing a similar country-level approach to the industry.

The five-year strategy from Indonesia’s financial services authority, Otoritas Jasa Keuangan (OJK), charts an extensive agenda ranging from reducing fees on sharia-compliant products to developing education and training programmes. Authorities want Indonesia’s Islamic banks to hold at least 15 percent of the market by 2023, an ambitious target considering the sector’s growth is stalling. Part of the problem lies with low financial literacy among the public, with Islamic finance further behind, according to a nationwide survey commissioned by the OJK. The roadmap would expand on education and promotion activities, while developing rules and industry certification for religious experts that endorse Islamic financial products.

The government of Mozambique plans to access funding from the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) to finance various investment projects of small and medium-sized enterprises, the Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, Osmar Mitha said. Mithá said the IDB reacted positively to this request from Mozambique, but said the country still faces some obstacles, notably the introduction of some legal improvements. The IDB has applied at least US$300 million in various sectors in Mozambique since 1995, the year the country joined the financial group. Currently, there are 22 ongoing projects valued at more than US$160 million in sectors such as agriculture, education, health and water supply.

Bank Negara said it would finalise operating standards for all major Islamic finance contracts by the end of this year, creating the first comprehensive set of practical guidance for the industry. The set of 11 standards will complement existing sharia guidelines issued by Bank Negara, as the regulator aims to address inconsistencies in the use of Islamic contracts. Malaysia’s current sharia standards are enforceable and have been in place for years, but they are technical rather than practical and still open to interpretation, Mohamad Akram Laldin, deputy chairman of the sharia advisory council of Bank Negara said. The new standards could help regulators in other countries that are seeking day-to-day guidance for their own markets, said Laldin.

Singapore's strength in conventional financing and capital markets can be adapted to meet the needs of Islamic banking, said Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) deputy managing director Jacqueline Loh yesterday. She added that conventional finance and Islamic banking are similarly cross-border in nature. Islamic capital-market activities in Singapore have taken off, with 31 sukuk issuances over the past five years. Ms Loh said sukuks are ideal for funding infrastructure projects and would complement work by Singapore as they are asset-backed and can involve more capital-market participants. MAS is also working with the industry and other government agencies to establish sukuk regulatory and tax regimes.

The Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) signed a memorandum of understanding with China International Contractors Association (CHINCA) formalizing the parties’ cooperation in identifying and cultivating investment opportunities in the construction, infrastructure and other key industries by leveraging on areas of expertise and utilizing services currently offered by both parties. The strategic collaboration also aims to build a fruitful networking platform by developing and participating in business-matching forums as a means to identify forces shaping the industry and connect key industry players. CHINCA has more than 1,300 members to date, and about 800 members are engaged in international project contracting and investment.

The annual meeting of the Islamic Development Bank began in the Mozambique capital of Maputo on Sunday that would consider a report on the Medium-Term Sukuk Program for which the bank had already allocated $10 billion. The meeting will also consider the progress made so far in the implementation of its member country partnership strategic program; 20 member countries have so far signed up with the bank. In line with the four day official event, various activities will be organized on Thursday, one of which is a private sector forum where Islamic Corporation for Insurance of Investments and Export Credits will present the importance of export credit and investment insurance in Africa.

Dubai Women Establishment today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hawkamah, the Institute for Corporate Governance (HICG), aimed at creating a framework to advocate greater female representation in directorship positions in both the public and the private sectors. The MOU was signed by HE Mona Al Marri, Chairperson of the Dubai Women Establishment board and Director General of Dubai Media Office, and HE Hamad Buamim, Chairman of Hawkamah. The MoU will focus on areas of cooperation and will include opportunities for all signatories to participate in knowledge sharing activities and research, report creation and strengthening corporate government frameworks to encourage greater female participation at the board level.

Bank Negara Malaysia said it would finalise operating standards for all major Islamic finance contracts by the end of this year, creating the first comprehensive set of practical guidance for the industry.The set of 11 standards will complement existing shariah guidelines issued by Bank Negara, as the regulator aims to address inconsistencies in the use of Islamic contracts. The regulator has sought wide industry feedback and is expected to update the new standards regularly to keep up with changing market practices. Malaysia's current shariah standards are enforceable and have been in place for years, but they are technical rather than practical and still open to interpretation.

SEDCO Holding Group, a Shariah-compliant private wealth management organization, acquired 40% in AlShiaka, the Saudi men’s outfitters specialized in designing and making men’s thobes. Anees Moumina, CEO of SEDCO Holding Group, and Walid Al Andijani, AlShiaka’s CEO, sealed the deal in Jeddah at one of AlShiaka’s outlets on June 1st 2015. The partnership will utilize SEDCO Holding’s capital and expertise in corporate governance to drive the strategic growth of the company. This investment is in line with SEDCO Holding’s strategic approach to invest in viable new ventures in growth sectors in the region. AlShiaka now has 32 showrooms for retail purchasing and this has positioned the company’s market share within the top three among its competitors.

Tirad Al Mahmoud, chief executive of Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, has urged the Central Bank to broaden its provision of short-term liquidity to Sharia-compliant lenders. The UAE should also offer longer-term funding facilities to Islamic banks so as to improve their business capability, he added. The Central Bank allows Islamic banks to park Sharia-compliant assets on its balance sheet in exchange for profit. This is only available on an overnight basis. The central banks of the UAE and Bahrain recently introduced a series of short-term treasury management tools to help Islamic lenders to manage their cash flows. Bahrain and the UAE are the only countries in the region whose central banks offer liquidity tools to Islamic lenders.

CEO Dr. Adnan Chilwan, Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) says that the Islamic finance sphere demonstrated a greater degree of resilience when compared to conventional banks during the most recent financial crisis. The bank also noticed an upswing of fresh clients, partly due to what he considers a shift in perception. DIB recently launched a comprehensive SME offering targeted towards the SME sector in the UAE. The product and services suite primarily focuses around the liquidity management and working capital finance needs of the customers across this segment, Mr. Chilwan explains. DIB is also pursuing a growth strategy, looking at opportunities in Indonesia and Kenya.

Islamic finance aims to move into infrastructure, as governments and bankers plan a new organisation to handle deals and expand efforts to use sukuk for projects in majority-Muslim countries. An estimated US$800 billion (RM2.96 trillion) worth of infrastructure financing will be needed each year in Asia over the next decade. But so far, technical, legal and political issues have mostly confined sharia-compliant infrastructure deals to mid-sized ones with shorter tenors. Only a handful of project finance deals have been done. Governments are now trying to break the impasse. Indonesia, Turkey and the Islamic Development Bank said last month that they planned to launch an Islamic infrastructure bank, with Indonesia and Turkey pledging at least US$300 million each.