UK to develop tools to boost liquidity in Islamic Banking

(MENAFN - The Arabian Post) The scope of Britain's Islamic finance market is widening with several initiatives from the government and private sector, although the country is about to lose one of its six full-fledged Islamic banks.

In June, Britain became the first Western country to sell sovereign sukuk (Islamic bonds), helping boost its industry credentials as competition intensifies among global financial centres for a slice of Islamic business.

Britain has 22 firms that offer sharia-compliant financial products and they held an estimated 19 billion in assets last year, according to a report by lobby group TheCityUK. These include six full-fledged Islamic banks such as Bank of London and the Middle East BLME.DI, European Islamic Investment Bank (EIIB.L), Gatehouse Bank and the Islamic Bank of Britain (IBB).

Last week a government official said the central bank would look into developing a liquidity management tool for use by Islamic banks, while Britain's export credit agency expects to guarantee sukuk for the first time next year, an issue by a customer of European plane maker Airbus (AIR.PA).

In May, the Bank of England widened the types of sharia-compliant debt instruments that Islamic banks can use in their liquidity buffers, under a policy statement known as PS4/14.

Islamic banking accounts for only a tiny fraction less than 1 percent of the British banking sector, far below the share of roughly a quarter seen in the Gulf.

But taken together, the new official initiatives seem likely to create a more benign environment for Islamic finance, allowing banks to operate more flexibly and efficiently, and therefore more cheaply. Depending on how quickly it moves ahead, the plan for the liquidity management tool could conceivably put Britain ahead of some Gulf countries in providing options in this area.

"PS4/14 is a strong enabler"this is very powerful for us," Sultan Choudhury, chief executive of Birmingham-based IBB, said on the sidelines of an industry conference in Dubai.

The new rules allow Islamic banks to hold a variety of instruments, ranging from sukuk issued by the Qatari government to those issued by Saudi Arabian firms, Choudhury said.

The IBB, a unit of Qatar's Masraf Al Rayan MARK.QA, is now moving into the wholesale business and plans to change its name to Al Rayan Bank in December, subject to regulatory approval, as it looks to appeal to a wider customer base.

Despite this, London-based European Islamic Investment Bank is now in discussions with regulators to relinquish its banking licence, the lender said in a regulatory filing.

Under a 2012-2016 strategy, EIIB is exiting legacy private equity investments, seeking more stable income from its asset management and advisory services.

Dropping its deposit-taking licence would remove cumbersome capital and reporting requirements. In July, EIIB failed to secure regulatory approval to appoint a chief financial officer.

Other banks are also adjusting their strategies. London-based Gatehouse Bank aims to generate more deals outside the domestic property market, its recently appointed chief executive told Reuters in August.

Bank of London and The Middle East, Britain's largest Islamic bank, is developing private banking services with Malaysia's Bank Muamalat.

Non-banks are also spotting opportunities, such as asset management firm London Central Portfolio (LCP), which has launched two sharia-compliant property funds since December.

"We have every intention of rolling this out across all future funds," said Naomi Heaton, chief executive of LCP. "With the Islamic finance industry growing rapidly and far quicker than the conventional fund sector, we wish to continue to capitalise on this market."

Last week, London's Battersea Power Station project announced it had secured a 467 million pound (754 million) Islamic syndicated loan, one of the largest Islamic transactions ever conducted in the country.-Reuters

Source: http://www.menafn.com/1094006978/UK-to-develop-tools-to-boost-liquidity-in-Islamic-banking

PH eyes Islamic bank to develop Mindanao

The Philippines is turning to Islamic finance to rejuvenate Bangsamoro, a Muslim-majority region whose economy has been stifled by decades of civil war.

The Bangko Sentral has set up a task force with the World Bank and the country’s only Shariah-compliant lender to develop the industry, Governor Amando Tetangco said Oct. 29 in Manila. Bangsamoro is an autonomous region set to be created on the southern island of Mindanao after President Benigno Aquino signed a peace agreement with Muslim rebels.

The Philippines said in July it planned to sell sovereign sukuk by mid-2016, following the UK and Hong Kong in creating a local benchmark for a global industry whose assets are forecast by the Malaysia International Islamic Finance Centre to more than triple to $6.5 trillion by 2020. The Bangsamoro Development Agency says it needs P110 billion ($2.4 billion) to rebuild a region that has a poverty rate more than double the national average.

“The Islamic banking industry may be a catalyst for the economic growth of the people of the Bangsamoro region,” Megat Hizaini Hassan, head of the Islamic finance practice at law firm Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill in Kuala Lumpur, said in an interview.

“It may also be useful for the regulators in the Philippines to consider Islamic finance not just for Mindanao, but rather as a means of bringing in foreign investment,” he said.

The Philippines, which considered a law to support Islamic finance as far back as 1973, may amend the charter of Al-Amanah Islamic Investment Bank of the Philippines to allow other Shariah-compliant lenders, the central bank’s Tetangco said.

“The idea is to allow Islamic banks to co-exist with conventional banks and have a level playing field,” he said. “We’re working as fast as we can,” he said, adding that the measures would require congressional approval.

The Bangsamoro government is also waiting on legislative approval to be formally established after President Aquino submitted a bill to this effect on Sept. 10.

The Philippines signed a peace deal with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in March to end a four-decade insurgency in Mindanao, home to most of the country’s 5 million Muslims. The pact also seeks to unlock investment in the mineral-rich south.

Bangsamoro supercedes the failed Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, an entity created in 1989 during a previous attempt at peace. Some 49 percent of people in that area lived on less than $1.20 a day in 2012, compared with the national average of 20 percent. Aquino attended a two-day forum that ends today in Mindanao’s Davao City aimed at seeking international aid and investment for Bangsamoro.

“There is a dire need for financial services to support economic development in the Mindanao area,” Idiosa Ursolino, senior vice president at Al-Amanah Islamic Investment Bank in Manila, said in a Nov. 4 e-mail interview. “That could be made possible by a culturally-friendly business environment like the Shariah-compliant business opportunities.”

Source: http://manilastandardtoday.com/2014/11/06/ph-eyes-islamic-bank-to-develop-mindanao/

Britain's Islamic Finance Market widens with Govt, Private Moves

The scope of Britain's Islamic finance market is widening with several initiatives from the government and private sector, although the country is about to lose one of its six full-fledged Islamic banks.

In June, Britain became the first Western country to sell sovereign sukuk (Islamic bonds), helping boost its industry credentials as competition intensifies among global financial centres for a slice of Islamic business.

Britain has 22 firms that offer sharia-compliant financial products and they held an estimated $19 billion in assets last year, according to a report by lobby group The City UK. These include six full-fledged Islamic banks such as Bank of London and the Middle East, European Islamic Investment Bank , Gatehouse Bank and the Islamic Bank of Britain (IBB).

Last week a government official said the central bank would look into developing a liquidity management tool for use by Islamic banks, while Britain's export credit agency expects to guarantee sukuk for the first time next year, an issue by a customer of European plane maker Airbus.

In May, the Bank of England widened the types of sharia-compliant debt instruments that Islamic banks can use in their liquidity buffers, under a policy statement known as PS4/14.

Islamic banking accounts for only a tiny fraction - less than 1 percent - of the British banking sector, far below the share of roughly a quarter seen in the Gulf.

But taken together, the new official initiatives seem likely to create a more benign environment for Islamic finance, allowing banks to operate more flexibly and efficiently, and therefore more cheaply. Depending on how quickly it moves ahead, the plan for the liquidity management tool could conceivably put Britain ahead of some Gulf countries in providing options in this area.

"PS4/14 is a strong enabler...this is very powerful for us," Sultan Choudhury, chief executive of Birmingham-based IBB, said on the sidelines of an industry conference in Dubai.

The new rules allow Islamic banks to hold a variety of instruments, ranging from sukuk issued by the Qatari government to those issued by Saudi Arabian firms, Choudhury said.

The IBB, a unit of Qatar's Masraf Al Rayan, is now moving into the wholesale business and plans to change its name to Al Rayan Bank in December, subject to regulatory approval, as it looks to appeal to a wider customer base.

ALTERNATIVES

Despite this, London-based European Islamic Investment Bank is now in discussions with regulators to relinquish its banking licence, the lender said in a regulatory filing.

Under a 2012-2016 strategy, EIIB is exiting legacy private equity investments, seeking more stable income from its asset management and advisory services.

Dropping its deposit-taking licence would remove cumbersome capital and reporting requirements. In July, EIIB failed to secure regulatory approval to appoint a chief financial officer.

Other banks are also adjusting their strategies. London-based Gatehouse Bank aims to generate more deals outside the domestic property market, its recently appointed chief executive told Reuters in August.

Bank of London and The Middle East, Britain's largest Islamic bank, is developing private banking services with Malaysia's Bank Muamalat.

Non-banks are also spotting opportunities, such as asset management firm London Central Portfolio (LCP), which has launched two sharia-compliant property funds since December.

"We have every intention of rolling this out across all future funds," said Naomi Heaton, chief executive of LCP. "With the Islamic finance industry growing rapidly and far quicker than the conventional fund sector, we wish to continue to capitalise on this market."

Last week, London's Battersea Power Station project announced it had secured a 467 million pound ($754 million) Islamic syndicated loan, one of the largest Islamic transactions ever conducted in the country. (Editing by Andrew Torchia)

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/02/britain-islam-banks-idUSL6N0SA05F20141102

2nd Public Lender to set up Islamic Bank

The government sent Parliament a draft for a change in laws regulating the Turkish banking sector on Monday. The anticipated changes would involve plans to allow public bank Vakıfbank to set up the country's second anticipated Islamic public lender, after Ziraat Bankası. Ziraat received regulatory approval from the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK) last week to establish an Islamic bank. The moves are part of government efforts to develop the Islamic banking sector at home.

Ziraat, the country's largest state-run bank and its second-largest in terms of assets, will be allowed to set up a standalone Islamic unit with $300 million in capital, the regulator said late on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Turkish media speculated on Monday that, Emlak Bank, a lender which was transferred to Ziraat Bankası during Turkey's 2001 domestic financial crisis, would be reactivated as part of the Islamic bank plans. Emlak Bank, established in 1926, failed in 2001 and has since been in a liquidation process, with its operations being carried out under Ziraat.

There are currently four Islamic banks operating in Turkey, which hold a combined 5 percent share of total banking assets: Albaraka Türk, Bank Asya, Türkiye Finans and Kuveyt Türk, a unit of Kuwait Finance House.

Islamic finance has developed slowly in Turkey, the world's eighth most populous Muslim nation, partly because of political sensitivities and the secular nature of its laws. This changed in 2012, when the Turkish government issued its debut $1.5 billion Islamic bond and kick-started regulatory moves to allow wider use of Islamic finance contracts. The government has since issued dollar and lira-denominated Islamic bonds and is finalizing plans for another deal.

Source: http://www.todayszaman.com/anasayfa_2nd-public-lender-to-set-up-islamic-bank_362108.html

Interest Free Banking a Reality?

The Ugandan government has embraced Islamic banking as evidenced by Cabinet’s recent approval of the same with the proposed Islamic Banking Bill 2014 currently before the Uganda Law Reform Commission undergoing a few changes, and likely to be tabled on the floor of Parliament soon.

Islamic banking is Sharia-compliant banking based on the principles of trade, partnerships, Profit and Loss Sharing (PLS) and the prohibition of reckless risk. Specifically, it prohibits interest-based banking, speculation and financing of haram transactions such as gambling and alcohol. It has the same purpose as conventional banking: to make money for the bank by lending out capital. However, the Islamic economic system revolves around the prohibition of interest. Two of the several Islamic banking products that avoid the concept of interest are Musharaka and Murabaha.

Under a Musharaka contract, the bank provides the money while the client provides the business expertise, and profits are shared at a predetermined ratio while losses are borne exclusively by the bank, having provided all the capital initially. This is essentially a partnership loan between the bank and customer. The bank obtains ownership interests in the assets it finances, or earns a profit-share. Because of the bank’s involvement in the implementation of the project, it has a higher likelihood of success, which should see more successful investments.

On the other hand, Murabaha is cost-plus financing. Because Islamic banks are prohibited from making returns on money lending, these contracts provide for the bank to buy an investment good or commodity on behalf of the client and resell it to the client at a fee which enables the bank to make a profit. So, for example, an Islamic bank will not offer an interest loan to clients to buy a house, but will buy the house instead and sell it to the client for a profit.

Between 2010-2012, interest rates of some commercial banks in Uganda were as high as 30-32 percent. Islamic banking, being interest-free, should increase access to investment finance and see a rise in entrepreneurship projects, as well as boost competition in Uganda’s banking sector inevitably leading to provision of more efficient and better banking services.

Kenya and Tanzania have already embraced Islamic banking with banks such as Standard Chartered offering Islamic banking windows. Kenya’s central bank introduced Sharia-compliant bonds, also known as Sukuk which are bonds backed by an asset, with the bank sharing in the profits derived from the assets. Islamic finance currently accounts for about 2 per cent of the total banking business in Kenya, with corporations making up a considerable portion of the clientele. In Tanzania, Islamic banking gained such popularity upon its introduction more than seven years ago that demand for it eventually far exceeded supply. This was due not only to the large number of Muslims in the country, but also to the lucrative services and partnerships that Islamic banks have offered.

In Uganda, only 8.3 percent of the Ugandan population use banking products, and the Muslim population is only about six million of the total population. Islamic banking products would likely be particularly appealing to Muslims, but would also be available to all Ugandans and should be a viable option for the majority of youthful entrepreneurs and low-income earners, regardless of religious affiliation.

It is noteworthy that the Financial Institutions Act of Uganda (2004) neither envisages nor provides for Islamic banking. The proposed Islamic Banking Bill (2014), therefore, would provide a much needed regulatory framework to realise the benefits of this alternative banking model.

Source: http://www.independent.co.ug/column/comment/9392-interest-free-banking-a-reality-

Islamic Banking and Finance in New Orleans

FAAIF Announces a Two Day Workshop on Islamic Banking and Finance in conjunction with AlHuda CIBE and the University of New Orleans, October 6-7, 2014 

FAAIF enters the US markets with Islamic Finance. 

FAAIF, continuing with its commitment to bring Islamic finance to the United States, announces a joint-training workshop in Islamic Banking and Finance in conjunction with the Al Huda Center of Islamic Banking and Economics and the University of New Orleans October 6 and 7, 2014 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. FAAIF CEO Camille Paldi is looking forward to this tremendous opportunity to bring Islamic finance to the people of the United States, which is her home country, and hopes that the American people are just as excited as she is about learning this distinct form of Holy Book finance. Not only does Paldi hope to enrich the lives of US citizens, she aims to help US companies stay competitive in the International financial markets and keep America strong. 

Paldi mentioned that the global Islamic financial industry is a billion dollar industry and suggests that the USA should become involved on a wider scale in order to attract funds into the United States and maintain the USA’s status as a strong force in the international economy. In addition, Paldi would like to see economic rejuvenation in depressed areas of the United States and sees Islamic finance as a tool of the people for social uplift and expansion of life opportunities. Paldi explains that Islamic finance is based on a form of interest-free Holy Book financing and profit and loss sharing where the bank acts as a finance house rather than a loan house and where the bank and borrower enter into more of a business partnership rather than a creditor/borrower relationship. Paldi elaborates that this model of finance allows the economy to grow rather than stagnate and decline from excessive debt and limits the use of destabilizing financial instruments such as derivatives. Paldi emphasizes that the life of the average American has become weighed down by a cycle of debt, which may become a lifetime trap for an American, making life more difficult than necessary. She also reveals that Islamic Finance can help the small to medium businessman/woman in times of massive corporate expansion. 

FAAIF CEO Camille Paldi is a US citizen who has lived in the United Arab Emirates for six years and has spent many years training in Islamic finance and Shariáh abroad in addition to having qualified as a lawyer in four countries. Al Huda CIBE, having conducted hundreds of successful training workshops all over the world is excited to enter the American markets to bring fascinating and complex Islamic finance and banking products and structures to citizens of the United States. Contact camille@faaif.com or info@alhudacibe.com for registration. Event Website: http://www.alhudacibe.com/usa2014/

Visitors

Lawyers, Bankers, Academics, Students, Knowedge-Seekers.

Exhibitors

Investment Banking, Finance

Islamic Finance goes Global, but Malaysia still leads the way

Islamic finance is going global. South Africa has joined the UK and Hong Kong to become the third non-Muslim country to issue an Islamic bond or sukuk. And this follows American investment bank Goldman Sachs raising US$500m from its first Islamic bond sale. These moves reflect the desire to effectively tap into the wealth of Muslim investors around the world.

Fuelled by booming industries in the Middle East and South-East Asia, the Islamic finance industry is booming. Forecasts estimate it will double over the next five years to more than US$3.4 trillion. The two global centres for it are currently Malaysia and the UAE (where Goldman is issuing its sukuk). But London too has staked its claim on standing alongside Dubai and Kuala Lumpur.

Playing host to the 9th World Islamic Economic Forum last year, London appeared to make a deliberate challenge to rival the traditional Islamic financial powers. Opening the forum, David Cameron said:

"London is already the biggest centre for Islamic finance outside the Islamic world … I want London to stand alongside Dubai and Kuala Lumpur as one of the greatest capitals of Islamic finance anywhere in the world"

London followed this up by launching a £200m sukuk in June 2014 and a groundbreaking new Islamic index on the London Stock Exchange. But can the non-Muslim power really challenge the traditional centres and how do they compare?

Malaysia’s market share

In terms of market share, Malaysia leads the pack with 16 fully-fledged Islamic banks including five foreign ones. Its total Islamic bank assets total US$135 billion (£82.7 billion), which accounts for 21% of the country’s total banking assets. By comparison the UAE has seven fully-fledged Islamic banks accounting for US$95 billion of assets and this represents around 19% of its total banking sector. Meanwhile, the UK has just six Shariah-compliant financial institutions, with total assets of US$19 billion.

If we focus on Islamic capital market development, Malaysia is once again a long way ahead of its competitors. The country boasts more than 60% of the global sukuk market amounting to US$164 billion worth of outstanding sukuk in the first half of 2014. London on the other hand has US$38 billion of outstanding sukuk raised through 53 issues on the London Stock Exchange since 2009. Dubai fares the worst with just US$21.08 billion as of May 2014 in sukuk on its exchanges. In fact state-owned companies in the UAE have gone to London to seek further capital.

But Goldman Sachs' debut sukuk was, of all the favourite Islamic finance locations, listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. Intent on avoiding the controversy of their failed 2011 sukuk, Goldman this time adjusted the sukuk structure and enlisted several heavyweight Gulf banks including Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, the National Bank of Abu Dhabi, Dubai’s Emirates NBD Capital and the investment banking arm of Saudi Arabia’s National Commercial Bank to arrange the sale.

This is only the second such deal from a conventional bank outside a predominantly Muslim country and so a significant step in Islamic finance going mainstream. It will also act as a big boost for GCC investment banks and give one more thumbs up for Dubai as the centre for Islamic finance.

Malaysia is also way ahead when it comes to regulating Islamic finance. Malaysia passed an authoritative Islamic Financial Services Act in 2013, which built on its earlier Islamic Banking Act of 1983 to oversee operations within the country. Dubai, London and other would-be centres meanwhile both rely on their common banking law with some Islamic finance add-ons to govern Islamic finance operations.

Islamic finance future

In relation to the Islamic finance education infrastructure, the UK is actually ahead of the game. The UK has been ranked as the global leader in Islamic finance education with more than 60 institutions offering Islamic finance courses and 22 universities offering degree programs specialising in Islamic finance.

Malaysia and the UAE followed. Malaysia has 50 course providers and 18 universities offering degree programs, while the UAE has 31 course providers and nine universities offering degree programs. But when it comes to research output in Islamic finance, Malaysia stood first with more than 100 peer-reviewed research papers released in the past three years. The UK followed with 56 peer-reviewed research papers and there was no data available for the UAE.

Under threat

Based on the above observations, it is apparent that Malaysia is still the superpower of Islamic finance. But with the recent developments in the rival centres this position is going to be under continuous threat.

The Islamic Development Bank has set up a US$10 billion sukuk issuance program on the Nasdaq Dubai exchange that will be a big boost to Dubai’s efforts to become a top centre for Islamic finance. And London, which is already a global financial centre, is making its moves to bolster Islamic finance from education to cultivating relationships with Muslim banks and investors.

Malaysia, however, still has the advantage of a vibrant market in sukuk issuance, thanks to the Islamic hinterland of southeast Asia and a good reputation for strong Islamic finance regulation. So, it’s not a surprise that other international banks are going there to do business. And we can expect this to continue for the foreseeable future. But how Malaysia reacts to its competitors and can maintain its position is another matter.

Source: http://theconversation.com/islamic-finance-goes-global-but-malaysia-still-leads-the-way-27347

Shariah Gets Hotter as Kazakhs Revive Islamic Bank Plan

Kazakhstan is reviving plans to develop Islamic finance, joining nations from South Africa to the U.K. in targeting an industry that’s forecast to reach $3.4 trillion during the next four years.

The majority Muslim central Asian nation is “fine-tuning” legislation for Shariah-compliant banking, central bank Chairman Kairat Kelimbetov said at an Islamic finance conference in Almaty last week. Some lenders are seeking to convert into Islamic banks, he said.

Borrowing costs for sellers of Islamic securities have tumbled this year as investors snap up debt from first-time issuers including Britain. South Africa, Luxembourg and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. are also preparing sales. The drive by Kazakhstan comes two years after its debut sukuk, which was denominated in Malaysian ringgit.

“The sovereign sukuk may not be quite ready, but there are other financial institutions who may be looking at issuing sukuk,” Rizwan Kanji, a Dubai-based partner at King & Spalding LLP law firm, said Sept. 9 in an e-mail following his first visit to Kazakhstan. They may use structures that appeal to Gulf Cooperation Council investors, he said.

Global Capital

The Islamic finance industry is expected to double in the five years through 2018, according to Ernst & Young LLP. The U.K., which is vying to establish itself as a global hub for Shariah-compliant financing along with Dubai and Kuala Lumpur, received orders for more than 10 times the 200 million pounds ($322 million) it raised in its inaugural sale in June.

The debt will contribute to a 30 percent surge in global sovereign Islamic bond issues to $30 billion this year as investors clamor to take advantage of lower yields, according to Moody’s Investors Service.

Average sukuk yields worldwide declined 65 basis points in 2014 to 2.77 percent on Sept. 9, Deutsche Bank AG indexes show. That compares with a 30 basis-point drop to 4.77 percent in average yields for the Bloomberg Emerging-Market Sovereign Bond Index.

The U.K. was the first non-Muslim government to sell a sovereign sukuk. The issue’s success has tempted other nations to tap Islamic capital markets, according to Sheikh Bilal Khan, a co-chairman of Dome Advisory Ltd.

Following Suit

“There’s no doubt that the U.K. sovereign sukuk has encouraged many countries to follow suit,” Khan said by e-mail last week. “Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are looking to become Islamic finance hubs of” the region, he said.

Kazakhstan first explored sukuk as early as 2010, when the government said it sought to make Almaty an Islamic finance hub for Central Asia. Abu Dhabi’s Al Hilal Bank opened a branch in Kazakhstan that year, and remains the only Islamic lender in the oil-rich nation.

“We look forward to additional players coming into the market,” Prasad Abraham, chief executive officer of Al Hilal Islamic Bank JSC of Kazakhstan, said in an interview with Bloomberg Television Sept. 2. The bank plans to double its assets to $300 million over the next three years, he said.

Legislative Hurdles

Al Hilal Islamic experienced difficulties in generating business after setting up in Central Asia’s biggest energy producer because of a lack of understanding of Shariah-compliant products by customers, Chief Financial Officer Aidyn Tairov said in 2012.

Kazakhstan will face legislative hurdles as it seeks to promote the industry and the nation is experiencing the early stages of development, Central Bank chairman Kelimbetov said last week.

“We have a roadmap for development of Islamic finance until 2020, adopted by the government,” Kelimbetov said. “We have a number of Kazakh banks seeking to convert to Islamic banks.”

The economy of Kazakhstan, which has the third-lowest investment-grade credit rating at Standard & Poor’s, grew 5.95 percent last year from 5 percent in 2012, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Gross domestic product will slow to 4.7 percent this year before accelerating to 5.8 percent in 2015, according to a Bloomberg survey of 12 economists conducted in late June.

“There’s a bit more of a systematic approach now, rather than rushing in to issue a sukuk,” Kanji said of the latest drive from senior government officials to develop Islamic finance. “It makes sense for them to look at the Middle East, attract funding and establish a track record.”

Securities Commission Malaysia introduces new Sukuk framework

The launch of the SRI Sukuk framework is in line with the initiative set out under the SC’s Capital Market Masterplan two to promote socially responsible financing and investment. With the shifts in investor demographics, there are growing concerns over environmental and social impact of business and greater demand for stronger governance and ethics from businesses. The Malaysian capital market is well-positioned to capitalise on these changing trends and facilitate sustainable and responsible investing.

“The introduction of the SRI Sukuk framework is part of the SC’s developmental agenda to facilitate the creation of an eco-system conducive for SRI investors and issuers and is also in line with the rising trend of green bonds and social impact bonds that have been introduced globally to facilitate and promote sustainable and responsible investing. Combined with Malaysia’s leading position in the global Sukuk market, this framework will further enhance the country's value proposition as a centre for Islamic finance and sustainable investments”, said Datuk Ranjit Ajit Singh, Chairman of the SC.

The SRI Sukuk framework is an extension of the existing Sukuk framework and therefore, all the other requirements in the Guidelines on Sukuk continue to apply. The additional areas addressed in the framework for the issuance of SRI Sukuk include utilisation of proceeds, eligible SRI projects, disclosure requirement, appointment of independent party and reporting requirement.

Kenya's KCB to offer Islamic banking in all its branches

Kenya's KCB Bank, the country's largest lender by assets, plans to offer Islamic banking products through its entire branch network, accelerating the expansion of sharia-compliant banking in east Africa's biggest economy.

The move comes after Kenya's Capital Market Authority proposed a separate regulatory framework for Islamic finance, part of a broader strategy designed to boost the country's capital markets.

KCB has received all necessary approvals to launch Islamic banking across its 182 branches in the country, chief executive Joshua Oigara said in a statement. "In the long term, the product will...promote development in the marginalized areas of our country," Oigara said.

The lender will initially roll out Islamic banking services through seven branch centers, beginning from next month.

KCB joins Standard Chartered in offering Islamic banking services in Kenya, after the British lender launched its "Saadiq" brand in March.

Islamic finance, which follows religious principles such as bans on interest payments, accounts for roughly 2 percent of total banking business in Kenya, where Muslims make up about 15 percent of the population of 40 million.

There are currently two full-fledged Islamic banks in Kenya - Gulf African Bank and First Community Bank (FCB) - as well as Islamic banking services at several conventional lenders.

KCB, which operates across east Africa from Burundi to South Sudan, already offers Islamic banking services in Tanzania.

Islamic finance is also being developed by several other sub-Saharan countries in Africa such as Nigeria and Djibouti.

In June, Kenya's finance minister said the government would consider issuing Islamic bonds, or sukuk, after a successful debut $2 billion Eurobond.

EiD Greetings from AlHuda Centre of Islamic Banking & Economics

'More sukuk needed to maintain liquidity'

The seminar highlighted the importance of issuing sukuk in the Oman market. The instrument help diversify portfolio and investment opportunities in the form of new asset class. Bank Muscat plans to raise OMR500 million by way of Meethaq Sukuk Programme. - Supplied photo

Muscat: Tapping into reasonably good demand for Sharia-compliant products in the Sultanate, Shaikh Abdullah bin Salem Al Salmi, executive president of the Capital Market Authority (CMA), is optimistic that Oman will see the issuance of more sukuks. This follows the announcement by Bank Muscat to raise OMR500 million by way of Meethaq Sukuk Programme.

Speaking on the sidelines of a seminar on 'Developing a sustainable Islamic banking industry in Oman' here yesterday, he said, "Sukuk is needed not only for the capital market but also for the Islamic institutions to manage the liquidity. I feel it is equally important for the government and its various arms to roll out some sukuks. So, we are expecting more sukuk from the government as well as the private sector in the months ahead."

Sukuk is a certificate of undivided interest in the asset to be procured or constructed out of the amount pooled by the investors.

Thomson Reuters, the leading global news and information provider for the world's businesses and professionals, in partnership with Meethaq, the pioneer of Islamic banking in Oman from Bank Muscat, hosted a seminar on 'Developing a sustainable Islamic banking industry in Oman' yesterday at the bank's head office.

Sustained growth Shaikh Abdullah bin Salem Al Salmi presided at the high-profile seminar attended by policy makers, Sharia scholars and key representatives of the Islamic banking industry in Oman and the region, in the presence of Abdul Razak Ali Issa, chief executive officer of Bank Muscat .

Shaikh Abdullah bin Salem Al Salmi commented, "The seminar echoes the Islamic banking industry's consolidation phase in Oman focusing on investment opportunities and liquidity management tools to achieve sustained growth during the coming period."

Abdulhakeem Al Khayyat, managing director and chief executive of Kuwait Finance House, Bahrain, delivered the key-note address.

Sulaiman Al Harthy, group general manager (Islamic Banking), said, "Against the backdrop of the Islamic financial services industry gaining momentum in Oman, the seminar seeks to provide a strategic assessment focusing on innovative Islamic financial instruments and liquidity management products. The Islamic finance industry is growing very rapidly worldwide and this is a great opportunity for new Islamic banks as well as conventional banks to come together and create an environment which should make all of us proud, balanced with the Sharia law, Central Bank of Oman's guidelines, public demands and expectation and the rule of law as a whole."

Dr. Sayd Farook, global head (Islamic Capital Markets) of Thomson Reuters, said: "The seminar deals with a very important and timely assessment of the future of Islamic banking industry and how Islamic financial institutions in Oman can grow in an increasingly competitive environment."

Islamic banking future A session on the future of Islamic banking industry covered the strong demand for retail market potential in Islamic banking in Oman, exploring the options of full conversion to Islamic banking rather than opening dedicated windows, how Islamic banks can differentiate themselves and what customers are looking beyond Sharia-compliant in Oman.

In another session on capturing the opportunity with sukuk as a catalyst for foreign investment in Oman, the seminar highlighted how sukuk can offer local investors and financial institutions added portfolio diversification and investment opportunities in the form of new asset classes, whilst issuers can benefit from increased liquidity by tapping into the growing demand for Sharia-compliant investment products.

The session also addressed the investment sourcing potential which has not fully developed among corporates, while regulators are proactively trying to enhance the regulatory framework to support issuance. The session discussed regulatory aspects and ways to enhance issuance and attract market participants in order to build a vibrant market for Omani sukuk.

Another important discussion centred on developing indigenous and innovative solutions for liquidity management for Oman's Islamic finance industry. The session explored new liquidity management products to fill the yield curve and liquidity management issues faced by the Islamic banking industry.

Source:https://www.zawya.com/story/More_sukuk_needed_to_maintain_liquidity-ZAWYA20140324040701/

Islamic Banking need to be promoted in SME sector

Saturday, March 08, 2014 - Karachi—The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) has submitted recommendations for the serious consideration of the policy makers in the forthcoming budget and trade policies in order to stimulate the economy which can only be done by promoting the majority SME sector wholeheartedly and giving them a comfortable environment. The Union believes that SME promotion and development is no charity but it is the right of every SME and responsibility of the state to uplift the sector. The state must provide them equitably and make dedicated efforts to make doing business easy.

The SME sector includes traders, manufacturers, farmers and service providers. There are millions of SMEs all over Pakistan including many hospitals schools and consultants’ services. We were told 15 years ago that they were 3.2 millions SMEs but we are sure if you also include the SME farmers there would be almost 6 millions by now. We have created awareness about the importance of the sector and identified the impediments and have submitted recommendations every year for inclusion in the budget, trade policy, industrial policy and have urged the ministry of industries to revisit the SME policy made in 2007. We keep voicing the requirements of the sector all the time. The SME issues are poor law and order, loadsheding, poor infrastructure, lack of finance, information, transfer of technology, incentives and defective taxation system other than the corruption, non implementation of SME policy in right earnest. The union has submitted the following recommendations to SMEDA for onward submission to the concerned policy makers.

Law & Order: We have suggested the formation of SME Liaison Committee (SME-LC) on the pattern of the CPLC to arrange collective protection squads in industrial areas as the SMEs are threatened by gangsters and politically patronized miscreants. The SMEs need a strong committee to work as liaison between the police and the entrepreneurs and to exert pressure on the police to trace the culprits and prosecute them. The SME-LC chief must get the status of honorary first class magistrate to prevail on the police department and the relevant S.H.Os. 

Energy Crisis: We have suggested that alternate energy systems must be promoted and those SMEs willing to install alternate energy devices of solar, wind, Biomass be encouraged and the government needs to exempt the import of alternate energy systems on duty and leasing facilities must be provided on special affordable mark-up. Finance: This is a very important issue, as banks are demanding immovable property as collateral. The banks need to be educated on the subject of SME financing and taught risk management. The commercial banks need training and education on collateral management, warehouse financing, also financing on the basis of positive cash flows and the government must promote Islamic financing, leasing, hire purchase, commercial property leasing. The union has urged the government not to privatize the SME Bank but make it an SME Bank in the real sense.

The union has also urged the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to establish the SME Guarantee Insurance Company to insure SME financing and indemnify the banks against default by the borrowers. The SME needs venture capital and the system of venture capital needs to be promoted. The SMEs are looking forward to the establishment of the Exim bank as promised in the trade policy. Infrastructure: The infrastructure is poor and the SMEs are disabled due to poor infrastructure in the industrial areas. There is need for industrial estates and the need for government to allot land at concession for industrial estates. The leasing companies must adopt commercial property leasing to finance the SMEs to buy shops, workshops, warehouses and factories under commercial property leasing.

Technology Transfer: The SMEs need to import technology to manufacture quality goods and the government should facilitate collaboration with advanced countries to enable SMEs to manufacture goods with indigenous raw material and also import substitution goods in Pakistan.

Source: http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=235662

Dubai to launch Halal Index

Dubai: Dubai Exports is looking to issue an online Halal Index to list all UAE-based firms that are halal, Saeed Al Awadi, CEO of Dubai Exports, told Gulf News.

The index will be set up by Dubai Exports, an agency of the Department of Economic Development (DED), and will include relevant information about all the halal companies, banks, financial institutions, Islamic products and Islamic services in Dubai.

“This Index will boost the businesses of these firms by encouraging to enhance their local industries and products and by providing these businesses with new export opportunities across new markets,” Al Awadi said.

Halal companies, are firms engaged in the business of production, marketing and distribution of products that are Sharia compliant.

Al Awadi said that this comes in line with the government’s initiative to position Dubai as the world capital for Islamic economy in two years.

He added that this index will facilitate the growth of Dubai’s halal exports, which are expected to lead the region soon.

Dubai could emerge as the leader in the next phase of the evolution of Sharia-compliant sectors, including finance and insurance, Halal food and lifestyle, and travel.

“This index will be a good platform for all halal firms in the UAE to gain the opportunities for halal businesses and Islamic industries, which is now well established across geographies,” Al Awadi added.

With a clear vision of establishing itself as the centre of a global Islamic economy, Dubai looks likely to be the one with the biggest potential.

With Muslim consumer expenditure globally on food and lifestyle sectors around $1.62 trillion (Dh5.9 trillion) in 2012 and expected to reach $2.47 trillion by 2018, Al Awadi pointed to the need to boost this business sector by providing the right infrastructure and services.

Dubai Exports is looking to boost the emirate’s export by 20 per cent this year through the expansion to new markets, Al Awadi said.

“Dubai’s export long–term strategies to grow with the exports will continue to provide support required for our local companies to grow with their businesses and in turn the emirate’s Gross Domestic Production (GDP).

“The infrastructure and facilities already in place provide simple export process to our local companies wanting to enter new markets,” he said.

Source: http://gulfnews.com/business/general/dubai-to-launch-halal-index-1.1301675