Vice President Ma’ruf Amin underscored that benefits of the practices of Islamic economy and finance are not limited to only Muslims.”The practices (of Islamic economy and finance) have been well received by all elements of society since they are inclusive in nature and place high regard to justice,” he remarked in Sorong City, Southwest Papua, on Thursday.Speaking at the inauguration of the Islamic Economy and Finance Committee (KDEKS) of Southwest Papua, he noted that the government had taken measures to develop the Islamic economy and finance as one of the drivers of economic growth.The vice president observed that various regions in the country had started reaping benefits from equitable development and welfare as a result of the development of Islamic economy and financeAmin then underlined that non-Muslim majority countries, such as the United Kingdom, have also been witnessing growth of the Islamic economy and finance.”In fact, the UK has become a center for Islamic finance education. Plenty of our talents have preferred to study there to pursue a doctoral degree. We can see that many of them are now working at Bank Indonesia and the Finance Ministry,” he highlighted.He stated that such countries had been enjoying the benefits of rapid growth of Islamic economy and finance, noting that Brazil, Australia, and the UK have emerged as prominent exporters of halal food products.”It should be noted that Brazil has become the world’s top halal food exporter, although the majority of its population is non-Muslim. Bearing that in mind, we hope that Indonesia will become the world’s biggest halal producer rather than a mere consumer,” he remarked.The vice president then drew attention to South Korea and Japan, saying that the two East Asian countries have been consistent in developing their Muslim-friendly tourism.”During my visit to South Korea, I learned that the country is developing its cosmetic industry while issuing halal certificates for the products, with the aim of conquering global cosmetics markets,” he said.On that note, Amin emphasized the need for Indonesia to play an active role as a producer in the global halal cosmetics industry instead of merely being a consumer.Related news: VP launches first Papuan Islamic economy committee in Southwest PapuaRelated news: Indonesia’s Islamic economy must become the world’s best: Minister
