JAKARTA – Vice President Ma’ruf Amin has instructed the National Committee for Sharia Economics and Finance (KNEKS) to strengthen its institutionalization.
Following up on this directive, Minister of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform (PANRB) Abdullah Azwar Anas and Minister of National Development Planning (PPN)/Head of National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) Suharso Monoarfa on Tuesday (4/7) discussed the strategy and progress of strengthening the KNEKS institution in Jakarta.
“Today, with the Minister of PPN/Head of Bappenas, we comprehensively discussed strengthening and sharpening the institutional functions of KNEKS. This is closely related to strengthening national economic resilience,” said Minister Anas after the meeting.
He revealed that the Vice President Ma’ruf Amin at the end of April 2024 conveyed several directions and input on the institutional arrangement of KNEKS.
The government hopes that the results of this arrangement will strengthen the government in advancing the Islamic economic and financial ecosystem in Indonesia.
“This has become an attention for the government, as strengthening the KNEKS institution is one part of the effort to make Indonesia the center of the world’s sharia economy,” Anas said.
According to Presidential Regulation No. 28/2020 on the National Committee for Sharia Economics and Finance, KNEKS is a non-structural institution that is independent in carrying out its duties and functions.
It has the task of accelerating, expanding, and advancing the development of Islamic economics and finance in order to strengthen national economic resilience.
Minister Anas revealed that the Ministry of PANRB has coordinated with several ministries and institutions regarding the institutional strengthening of KNEKS.
“In the future, we hope that KNEKS will be stronger, the bureaucracy will be simple but fast, and it can execute the directives of the President and Vice President,” he concluded.
The initial purpose of the KNEKS was to coordinate and accelerate cross-sectoral sharia economic and financial programmes in accordance with the established master plan document.
This declaration was carried out with the aim of positioning Indonesia as one of the main actors and hubs of the world’s Islamic economy.
On the same occasion, Minister of PPN/Head of Bappenas Suharso Monoarfa stated that he is ready to support the strengthening of Islamic economic institutions in Indonesia.
“We already have sharia economic institutions. Now we want to increase their role since the Islamic economy also makes a big contribution,” he said.
With its current existence, he added, Islamic economic institutions have great potential in supporting national economic resilience.
“We learn that in some countries where the majority of the population is not Muslim, they still can have the best practices in terms of Islamic economics. We want that to happen in Indonesia,” he said.
