VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Jan. 26, 2021 - President Joko Widodo has welcomed the inauguration of the Sharia Economic Brand to increase public awareness of sharia economic activities.

"I welcome the inauguration of the Sharia Economic Brand. This is very important to increase public awareness as support for sharia economic activities," the President remarked at the launch of the National Movement for Cash Waqf and Inauguration of the Sharia Economic Brand at the State Palace in Jakarta on Monday.

The President, who is also chairman of the National Committee on Sharia Economics and Finance (KNEKS), said the Sharia Economic Brand will join forces to increase the added value of the sharia economy in Indonesia.

The President said that the sharia economy still has enormous potential to be developed.

Sharia economic development is not only being carried out by countries with a majority Muslim population, but also other countries such as Japan, Thailand, Britain, and the United States, he added.

"We must seize this opportunity by pushing for the acceleration, accelerating the development of the national Islamic economy and finance. We must prepare ourselves as the center of the global Islamic economy," the President explained.

Meanwhile, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin, as chairman of the KNEKS, said the Sharia Economic Brand is a logo or symbol belonging to the state, which will be used to unite togetherness in all activities related to sharia economics and finance in Indonesia.

The Sharia Economic Brand is also aimed at increasing literacy, education, and massive socialization of Islamic economics and finance with the aim of increasing public knowledge, skills, and confidence in Islamic economics and finance.

"I hope that the Islamic Economic Brand can be used by all ministries, institutions, and stakeholders engaged in sharia economics and finance, in every activity and product they have," the Vice President remarked.

Minister of Finance, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, had earlier said the total cash waqf collected and deposited in banks as of December 20, 2020 stood at Rp328 billion.

"Meanwhile, the project based waqf has reached Rp597 billion," she said at the launch of the Sharia Economic Brand in Jakarta on Monday.

Sri Mulyani emphasized that the government is very committed to promoting the integrated Islamic economic and financial sector.

This is being done in order to accelerate, expand, and develop the economy and finance to support national economic resilience, she added.

The minister said in the sharia social fund sector, which includes zakat (alms), sodaqoh (simple alms), and infaq (disbursements), waqf is a part that has a very strategic potential to be developed.

The Islamic social fund sector has enormous potential in supporting efforts to overcome problems of development, poverty, and improving the welfare of the community, Sri Mulyani remarked. (Antaranews)