Heaptalk, Jakarta — Indonesia’s Minister of Trade, Zulkifli ‘Zulhas’ Hasan, inaugurated the Muslim LifeFest 2024 at the Indonesia Convention Exhibition (ICE). In his speech, he urged Indonesians to work towards building the Muslim economy.
“Let’s build the Muslim economy together. This exhibition proves that the Muslim economy is starting to grow,” Minister Zulhas explained.
He fully supported the efforts of the Indonesian Muslim Entrepreneurs Community (KPMI). He emphasized the importance of initiatives like this to help Muslims develop themselves in the economy, education, and halal food.
“There are many sectors, such as halal food, the economy, entrepreneurship, and education, that can drive the growth of the Muslim economy,” he stated.
Zulhas also noted that Indonesian products are ready to enter other countries, especially within ASEAN, which has tariff-free trade agreements among its members. “ASEAN is an important market, with strong purchasing power and a large population,” he added.
He mentioned that Indonesia has already established trade agreements with China and Japan in the regional market. “However, with the Middle East, we are still in talks, and hopefully, we will soon have agreements like we do with ASEAN, China, and Japan, as the Middle East is a vital market with great potential,” he emphasized.
Regarding shifting trends among Muslim consumers, Zulhas explained that if a product meets their needs, is competitively priced, and is of good quality, they will buy it regardless of its origin. “Look at how China dominates the Middle East and how food from Thailand and Vietnam is popular. If we can’t compete, we will fall behind. They don’t ask where it’s from,” he added.
In concluding his remarks to the media, Zulhas expressed confidence that Muslim LifeFest 2024 could serve as a bridge for sharia economic growth and help support Indonesia’s 7-8% economic growth target as set by Prabowo.
