We urge the ICCIA to play a greater role in encouraging collaboration and synergy in the development of sharia economy and finance in OIC member states.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Vice President Ma’ruf Amin expressed optimism that the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture (ICCIA), affiliated to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), would push collaboration in development of the global sharia economy.

"We urge the ICCIA to play a greater role in encouraging collaboration and synergy in the development of sharia economy and finance in OIC member states," Amin stated while receiving ICCIA Secretary General Yousef Hasan Khalawi in Jakarta on Thursday.

At the 40-minute meeting, Amin briefed Khalawi on various strategic steps taken by the Indonesian government to develop the sharia economy coordinated by the Committee for Sharia Economy and Finance (KNEKS).

One of the strategic steps is developing halal industrial estates that are open to investors from predominantly Muslim countries to do businesses, he remarked.

"We hope investors from various Islamic countries, maybe initiated by ICCIA, would invest, particularly in halal industrial estates that we have built," he said.

The vice president warmly welcomed ICCIA's idea to establish business and investment centers in large Muslim countries.

The idea should be supported by standardizing halal certificates to facilitate the export and import of halal products, he said.

"We also hope that the export and import of halal products will not be obstructed, so the halal certificates should be standardized," he remarked.

By doing so, the countries will recognize each other's halal certificates, he added.

Amin also urged the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), as ICCIA's important partner, to play a strategic role in international forums initiated by the organization, so that Indonesia will be able to be a leader instead of a participant.

"Hence, Indonesia must be ready not only to participate but also to lead. I think Indonesia is also ready to play a bigger role," he remarked.

Khalawi said Indonesia is the world's largest Muslim country and holds extraordinarily large potential to develop the Islamic economy and become an international player.

One of ICCIA's grand ideas is to develop 10 hubs for business sectors in all Muslim countries, including Indonesia, each of which has typical products, he remarked.

"Muslim countries, such as Indonesia, Turkey, and Nigeria, hold large and unlimited potentials. We believe to be able to develop the three countries and other countries," he remarked.

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Translator: Rangga Pandu AJ, Suharto
Editor: Sri Haryati
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