The webinar on Tuesday (02/11) had the theme "Potential of the Halal and Sharia Industry in Indonesia and East Java". By inviting 3 speakers, namely Mr. Muhammad Ghorifin, Secretary of One Pesantren One Product (OPOP), Mrs. Achsania Hendratmi, FEB UNAIR Lecturer and UNAIR Business Incubator Coordinator, and Mrs. Nisful Laila, Deputy Dean II FEB and IKA UNAIR central administrator. The event opened with a prayer and remarks from Mr. Rudi Purwono as Dean of FEB UNAIR. This event invited the moderator, namely Mr. Achmad Room Fitrianto.
The first speaker, Mr. Muhammad Ghorifin, explained why halal products are something that is currently urgent in Indonesia. Firstly, the halal guarantee has been recognized by the World Trade Organization, because the WTO has recognized it, so halal products are an indication of products that are suitable for consumption. Second, the Muslim population in 2030 is predicted to be 26% of the world's population. Third, the Asia-Pacific halal product market is 62%, Africa is 15%, the Middle East is 20%, and Europe-US is 3%. This means that halal has become a lifestyle for global society. That is why Islamic economic growth is considered important.
In terms of Islamic boarding school-based economic potential, Indonesia has 27,722 Islamic boarding schools spread throughout Indonesia. There are more than 6000 Islamic boarding schools throughout East Java. This is a potential or opportunity that can be exploited in the growth of sharia economics in East Java. Mr. Ghorifin also explained that OPOP itself is a program to improve community welfare based on Islamic boarding schools through empowering students, Islamic boarding schools and Islamic boarding school alumni. There are 3 pillars in OPOP, namely santripreneur, pesantrenpreneur, and sociopreneur. Santripreneur is a santri empowerment program to increase the skills and understanding of santri in producing products. Pesantrenpreneur is a program that aims to produce superior halal products. Sociopreneur is a program for Islamic boarding school alumni that is synergized with the community.
Figure 1.1 World view of Halal products
Next, the second speaker, Mrs. Nisful Laila, discussed the sharia financial sector for the development of the halal industry. He stated that during the pandemic, sharia financial assets in Indonesia were able to grow 22.71% (yoy) from 2019 (Rp. 1,468.07 trillion) increasing to Rp. 1,801.40 trillion in 2020. Indonesia was ranked third in sukuk are a world reference.
Figure 1.2 Development of Indonesian sharia finance
In her explanation, Mrs. Nisful Laila said that in the halal industry, Indonesia leads with the highest investment activity in the halal industry (M&A, Venture Capital, Private Equity) and remained in the top position during the 2019/2020 pandemic, even though there was a decline in activity during the pandemic. Halal product transactions in e-commerce also show growth in almost all sectors which are dominated by the fashion, personal care and cosmetics, and halal food and beverage sectors. This certainly shows that the prospects for sharia business in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic are quite optimistic with the use of digital technology. One of the main development focuses and objectives of the sharia development sector in 2020-2024 is the National Halal Fund. It is one of the main pillars and programs in the Indonesian Sharia Economic Masterplan to support the growth of the halal industry and accelerate growth and export-oriented halal production. NHF is an important instrument in strengthening the halal value chain from upstream to downstream, especially in increasing the quality and quantity of halal products and services, starting from raw materials, processing processes, distribution channels, to financing.
The final speaker, Mrs. Achsania Hendratmi, discussed the potential and advantages of the halal industry that could be developed in Indonesia and East Java. He said that Indonesia is a big consumer in the halal industry which is also a challenge for Indonesia which is only a consumer, not a producing center. He also mentioned that there are several main strategies in the Indonesian Sharia Economic Masterplan for 2019-2024, namely strengthening the value chain, for example building an international halal center. Second, strengthening the digital economy, for example establishing incubators to facilitate the growth of start-ups. Third, strengthening the sharia economy, for example the formation of a state-owned sharia bank which was formed at the beginning of last February, namely Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI). And the fourth is strengthening MSMEs, for example integrated financing facilities for MSMEs.
Figure 1.4 National Halal Economy Framework
There is several assistance that can be provided to MSMEs, namely providing financing facilities and mentoring for MSMEs. First, there is synergy between sharia financial institutions to educate micro businesses and facilitate financing, the government financing subsidy program must be accompanied by sharia P2P lending financing for micro businesses, as well as facilitating capital-based financing by providing market share investments based on advanced technology, for example Blockchain.
