REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesia needs to make even greater efforts to boost its Islamic economy, pushing it to emerge at the top spot globally, Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto affirmed.

Speaking at an Islamic boarding school (pesantren) in Bogor, West Java, on Saturday (June 1), he cited the State of the Global Islamic Economy (SGIE) 2023 report showing that Indonesia's Islamic economy came in third position, trailing second-ranked Saudi Arabia and first-ranked Malaysia.

"This does not make sense, considering our population of 280 million. Meanwhile, the populations of Malaysia and Saudi may be equal or less compared to that of West Java. Hence, we need to boost our Islamic economy to make it the world's number 1," he remarked.

Hartarto noted that the ecosystem of Islamic economy and finance in Indonesia has been showing developments, especially in the fields of Islamic investment, halal food and beverages, modest fashion, pharmacy, cosmetics, and Muslim-friendly tourism.