“I suggest the immediate establishment of a working group, among OIC institutions and specialised business forums like WIEF, to study the ways and means of leveraging support by Islamic finance to SMEs, through research and exchange of expertise,” said the IDB President.
“Likewise, the partnership financing, the core element of Islamic finance, is an important source of funding for SMEs that can provide opportunities for entrepreneurship, jobs creation and income generation.
“The growing sukuk industry at the global level gives a tangible evidence that Islamic finance will play a major role in development financing especially for large-scale infrastructure.”
He stressed that the IDB Group is committed to providing solutions in the development of the requisite legal, regulatory, supervisory and shari’ah frameworks for the development of SMEs. He also called on all multilateral development banks and government institutions to work towards mainstreaming Islamic finance, especially in mobilising resources for the implementation of the sustainable development goals.