Bank Indonesia (BI) has officially concluded the Indonesia Sharia Economic Festival (ISEF) themed "One Decade of Spreading Goodness," which took place on October 25, 2023. Juda Agung, Deputy Governor of Bank Indonesia, announced that ISEF 2023 has successfully recorded transactions amounting to IDR 28.9 trillion. This figure encompasses financing from Islamic financial institutions, B to B transactions, B to C transactions, and transactions from the ISEF 2023 exhibition. It also includes FESyar activities in the Eastern Indonesian Region, Sumatra, Java, and 2,311 simultaneous Sharia Mortgage Credit (KPR) agreements. In line with this, the number of visitors to ISEF 2023 has more than doubled from the previous year, reaching over 72,930 visitors. At the closing of the ISEF 2023 event, Juda remarked that significant achievements at both the global level, particularly in the sharia economic and financial sectors, are crucial prerequisites for Indonesia to achieve its vision as a global hub for sharia economics and finance. The future implementation of ISEF is expected to play a significant role in driving potential sectors within sharia economics and finance to grow and develop while also being recognized in the global landscape. These events will not only showcase creations through fashion shows but also strengthen the business aspects of the designers, thus supporting the presence of modest fashion from Indonesia on a global scale.
Additionally, Juda added that ISEF in its 10th year in 2023 has served as a platform for business matching through collaboration with sharia economic communities (MES), particularly with special MES representatives abroad. This collaboration brought together SMEs and BI partners with aggregators and potential buyers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Pakistan. This initiative opens opportunities for SMEs to market their products and generate trade commitments with these three countries, including export potential. The high interest of business operators in exhibition activities is reflected in the number of business operators involved, reaching 1,003 business operators, with a transaction value of IDR 365.42 billion. To support the acceleration of halal certification facilitated by BI and involving relevant partners, as of October 2023, 17,680 halal certificates, 62 halal meat and poultry slaughterhouses, 90 halal slaughterers, 24 halal centers, and 2,200 halal facilitators have been produced in collaboration with universities and women's communities. The organization of ISEF 2023 as a stage for sharia economic and financial affairs is the result of collective efforts to drive the development of sharia economics in Indonesia.
