The Sharia Banking Study Program recently held a national seminar in the form of a webinar with the theme “Opportunities, Challenges, and Strategies of Islamic Bank and Finance to Support the Halal Industry.” The event took place on Monday, November 16, 2020, and featured highly competent speakers, including Abdullah Firman Wibowo (President Director of BNI Syariah), Rifki Ismal (Economic Researcher Specialist at Bank Indonesia), and Salman Subakat (CEO of PT Paragon Technology and Innovation). The webinar attracted a high level of enthusiasm from participants, as evidenced by the large number of attendees who remained engaged from the beginning to the end. Nearly 300 participants joined the event via Zoom meeting, and the lively atmosphere was further enhanced by a variety of insightful questions from the participants.

Abdullah Firman Wibowo, the first speaker, highlighted 5 significant gaps in the halal industry, namely the generation gap, technology gap, ecosystem gap, leadership gap, and human capital gap. He added that these gaps are tangible and attributed them to self-interest, capital accumulation, and life-orientation. Rifki Ismal, on the other hand, stressed that the development of Sharia economics within the halal industry is not the sole responsibility of any single entity, but rather a collective responsibility of the community. He underscored the importance of collaboration among various stakeholders. Furthermore, he mentioned that Bank Indonesia is actively involved in this effort by (1) promoting the halal value chain ecosystem, (2) innovating monetary and macro-prudential policies, integrating commercial and social Sharia finance, and (3) advancing knowledge through promotional campaigns.

In addition to discussing the challenges and opportunities within the Sharia economic industry, this webinar also provided valuable insights into the halal cosmetics industry. Salman Subakat, the CEO of PT Paragon Technology and Innovation, shared the journey and challenges encountered by Wardah, shedding light on its perseverance and continued existence. He also offered motivation to the predominantly young participants, encouraging them to maintain their innovative spirit and foster collaboration in contributing to the advancement of Sharia economics.