Bank Indonesia (BI) and the Ministry of Religious Affairs, in collaboration with universities, have established Halal Centers across six regions in Sumatra: Riau Islands, North Sumatra, Aceh, Lampung, Bangka Belitung, and Lhokseumawe. This initiative aims to enhance the synergy in developing the sharia economy and finance sectors to foster inclusive and sustainable economic growth. The establishment of these Halal Centers has successfully facilitated the issuance of halal certifications to 6,317 SMEs across Sumatra, optimizing the development of the halal product ecosystem in the region. Deputy Governor of BI, Doni P. Joewono, highlighted the importance of sustainable sharia economic development to address global challenges. “Indonesia's sharia economy continues to grow and holds a significant position in the global ecosystem, as evidenced by Indonesia's ranking at 3rd in the State of the Global Islamic Economy Indicator (SGIE) 2023, up from the previous year," he stated on Tuesday, 28 May.
Doni also mentioned various other sharia economic initiatives implemented in Sumatra, such as the Sharia Financing Month (BPS), which began in March 2024 and will culminate at the Indonesia Sharia Economic Festival (ISEF) 2024. Additionally, efforts to support digitization and synergy are ongoing, including the expanded use of the digital payment instrument (QRIS) for sharia financial transactions. During the same event, Riau Islands Governor Ansar Ahmad expressed appreciation and commitment from the local government to strengthening the national sharia economy. Ansar noted several initiatives, including providing margin subsidies for SME financing, offering training and support for halal food sterilization tools, packaging clinics, and halal certification programs. "We also have sharia business incubation through the pesantren independence program established by the Himpunan Ekonomi Bisnis Pesantren (HEBITREN), which is a collaborative economic platform among Islamic boarding schools in Riau Islands," he added.
