President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo lamented the great potential of Indonesia’s halal industry that has not been fully exploited. Hence, he stressed that integrated and comprehensive development is necessary.“The industrial ecosystem needs to be restored, the regulation must be efficient, and the human resources must be prepared,” said the president in his virtual opening speech of the Indonesia Sharia Economic Festival (ISEF) on Wednesday, October 28. According to Widodo, sharia economy and finance have the high potential to be developed considering they are not only in demand by Muslim countries but also Japan, Thailand, and the United States.
Indonesia with the largest Muslim population in the world, he said, must seize the opportunity. The government should accelerate the development of the national sharia economy and finance as part of the transformation efforts towards an Advanced Indonesia and make the country the center of the global sharia economy. The government has a national committee on Islamic economics and finance to accelerate sharia economic growth. "With a grand strategy of strengthening the halal value chain, the Islamic economy, MSEs (micro, small, and medium enterprises), and the digital economy,” he said. Jokowi said this year’s ISEF event could be momentum to create a clear and detailed road map on the development of the Islamic economic and financial industry.
