Antara News

VP seeks greater digital literacy among Islamic economic actors

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin has appealed to Islamic economic and financial actors to hone their digital literacy skills to survive amid the changes arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. He gave a speach at the virtual opening of the 2020 Sharia Economic Festival and Indonesia Sharia Economic Festival (ISEF) in Jakarta. Amin affirmed that digitalization was conducted in the wake of the changes in the current life order, including shopping for basic necessities online or through social media with the use of the internet. Amin noted that in terms of products, health and hygiene aspects were of absolute importance and offered enormous opportunities for the halal product industry. Not only for sharia economic players, but this year's ISEF was also held virtually to adjust to the current conditions to thwart the transmission of COVID-19.

#Indonesia's financial inclusion index increased in 2019: Jokowi

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) drew attention to Indonesia's financial inclusion index (FII) having risen from 67.8% to 76.19% in 2019. However, the index is yet below that recorded of neighboring countries in the ASEAN, with Singapore standing at 98%; Malaysia at 85%; and Thailand at 82%. Jokowi has highlighted the importance of prioritizing easy access to formal financial services for all people. He has called to develop internet-based digital financial services, as internet users in Indonesia had reached 170 million, or some 64.8% of its total population. He also called to expand access to formal financial services through non-banking services, such as insurance, stock market, and pension fund, to support funding from domestic investors.

#Indonesia has great sharia finance potential: President

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) sees great potential in Islamic finance, considering that the country has the largest Muslim population in the world. According to the President, sharia banking assets continued to increase in 2017 and amounted to Rp435 trillion (about US$32.2 billion) or about 5.8% of the total assets of Indonesian banks. In addition, the sharia capital market in Indonesia also continues to improve with sukuk reaching a 19% market share. The government also noted that non-bank Islamic finance industry assets have doubled since 2013. Jokowi explained that the potential of sharia industry and trade can be immediately developed in the Muslim fashion industry, halal food industry, pharmaceutical industry and tourism industry. He urged all people to become the driving force of the sharia economy.

Sharia banks' assets reach Rp331 trillion

The total assets of the #Indonesian sharia banking industry in the third quarter of 2016 reached Rp331 trillion, accounting for 5.13% of the national banking industrys assets. Lukdir Gultom, Chief of the Indonesian Financial Service Authority (OJK), said the actual figure outstrips the target set by the OJK at 5%. He added that the OJK continued to encourage the sharia compliant financial service industry covering banks, non-bank financial institutions and the capital market. To date, Indonesia has a total of 13 sharia commercial banks, 21 sharia business units, and 165 sharia rural banks. The OJK will try to increase their number. Having a Muslim majority population, North Sumatra has the potential to become a hub for the Indonesian sharia banking industry.

President Jokowi hopes Indonesia to become shariah financial center

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.

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