REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Indonesian government and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) will sign a Member Country Partnership Strategy (MCPS) 2016-2020 agreement on Tuesday.
"This is an agreement between the IDB and the Indonesian government. It concerns projects and programs that the IDB will support in Indonesia," Indonesian Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegaro told a press conference here on Monday.
In the MCPS 2016-2020, Indonesia will focus on infrastructure and social matters besides inclusive financial industry development, business sector development and regional integration relationship.
Bambang said Indonesia will focus attention on three projects with regard to the MCPS 2016-2020 cooperation. "The first project is slum development worth US$365 million. The second one is the development of four universities and Islamic institutional education valued at US$176.5 million and the other one is expansion of electricity network projects totaling US$ 330 million," he said.
The finance minister said the IDB also finances industrial sector and social projects such slum area improvement, apart from the educational sector.
"Regarding the slum area project, the IDB will cooperate with the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). This is a very good initiative in jointly assisting Indonesia in developing and reducing the slum areas," he said.
The minister said the IDB will also hold an annual meeting this year, focusing on how to develop Islamic finance so that it plays a role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
"In essence, Islamic finance can inclusively assist the people directly to narrow socio-economic gaps and reduce the poverty rate," Bambang noted.
In the meantime, President of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Ahmad Mohamed Ali Al-Madani, expressed his support to the development of halal tourism in Indonesia, in general, and West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), in particular.
"The Halal tourism industry has made significant progress lately, particularly in Muslim majority countries and in member states of the IDB," he remarked here recently.
The IDB strongly supports the halal tourism concept being developed in NTB, he stated.
He also congratulated the NTB for winning the World's Best Halal Tourism Destination and the World's Best Halal Honeymoon Destination awards.
The IDB chief recommended more Middle Eastern tourists to visit the NTB.
Al-Madani said his visit to Indonesia was aimed at strengthening partnership with the country, as a member of the IDB, and supporting economic growth and poverty alleviation through infrastructure development.
"Particularly for NTB Province, this concerns a plan to develop maritime infrastructure and Kayangan Port in North Lombok as a new global hub city," he revealed.
The 56-member IDB will hold its 41st meeting in Jakarta on May 15-19, 2016.
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