The Riau Provincial Government opens the widest possible investment taps for investors who are interested in working on the potential of the sharia economy. So far, this potential has not been fully exploited. Riau Governor Syamsuar said that currently Riau has a lot of raw materials for processing sharia products. Mainly raw materials sourced from the plantation and fishery sectors. "Saudi Arabia needs a lot of raw materials for their country, of which there are a lot of raw materials in Riau," said Syamsuar, Wednesday (20/4/2022). For example, one of the commodities that the Saudis desperately need are catfish, coconut milk and raw materials for paper to print the Koran.
Syamsuar said, in principle, the need for raw materials comes from Riau. However, Saudi Arabia buys from countries that process these raw materials into semi-finished products, such as Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam. "Some time ago I met the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia. They imported the coconut milk from Singapore. Now, Singapore took the coconut milk from Indragiri Hilir," he said. "Including catfish, Saudi is one of the largest catfish importing countries. They import them from Vietnam. Whereas in Kampar and Kuansing they can produce around 25-30 tons of catfish per day. The same goes for paper raw materials, which are mostly imported from the pulp and paper industry. paper in Riau," he said. Syamsuar said the potential for sharia economic development in Riau is very much. However, until now it has not been managed optimally. Apart from catfish and coconut milk, areca nut and gaharu are also highly sought after by foreign countries. Including other plantation commodities, such as palm oil and rubber. He said that opening the investment faucet wide must be done so that this potential can be utilized properly. Investment faucets, he said, were not only open to foreign investors. Instead, the same opportunity is also given to local investors.
"We hope that our concern for local products and local economic potential must be increased. If we want the sharia economy in the future to become the mainstay of the region in improving the community's economy," he said. According to Syamsuar, the awareness of Muslims in the region is one of the important keys so that the sharia economy in the region can be raised and worked out optimally. "I've looked for investors to develop a sharia economic area in Riau, but haven't been able to. I always mention this potential in every important agenda," said Syamsuar.
