Jakarta Vice Governor, Ahmad Riza Patria attended the Jakarta Sharia Economic Community (MES) Working Meeting at Ambhara Hotel, Kebayoran Baru, on Saturday (1/29).

The current digital economic development could boost sharia economic growth in Indonesia, including in Jakarta

In his remarks, he expected the meeting could be effective in supporting the realization of various innovative steps to improve the economy, especially in Jakarta.

"We understand how big the potential of sharia economy in Indonesia. Indonesia with the largest Muslim population in the world must seize this opportunity by encouraging acceleration, economic development, and national sharia finance to accelerate economic growth," he stated.

Based on The State of The Global Islamic Economy 2020 report, he added, Indonesia's sharia economic growth is in the 4th rank, from previously at 5th rank in 2019 and 10th rank in 2018. Indonesia is also said to lead in terms of several investment deals across all sectors of the Islamic economy covered in the report.

"This means that sharia economic ecosystem in Indonesia is on track and expected to increase economic growth in Indonesia. Especially in the era of digital transformation in the economic sector amid the COVID-19 pandemic," he conveyed.

According to him, the current digital economic development could boost sharia economic growth in Indonesia, including in Jakarta.

As a city with a majority Muslim population, he assessed, Jakarta has the opportunity to develop digitalization of the sharia economy in various sectors, including Islamic banking, non-bank finance, capital markets, Islamic hospitals, hotels, tourism, halal food, fashion, and many more.

"The Jakarta Government expects MES program to be a bridge for all sharia economic stakeholders," he closed.