An international seminar on Financial Inclusion for Central Asia, the Caucasus, and South Asia organised by Asian Development Bank Institute-Japan, Apec Business Advisory Council -China and Asia-Pacific Finance and Development Center held from 12th-14th July, 11, in Urumqi, China.
Delegates from Pakistan, China, Japan, Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Georgia, New Zeeland, Romania, Kyrgyz, UK and Afghanistan participated in this seminar, wherein Current State of Financial Inclusion Developing in Asia, Rural Finance in PR China, Key Regulatory Issues in Promoting Financial Inclusion, Evolution of Microfinance Institutions towards Financial Self-Sustainability through Innovation, Service Diversification and Islamic Microfinance were discussed in details.
The third day was allocated to Islamic Microfinance and Zubair Mughal - Chief Executive Officer, AlHuda Centre of Islamic Banking and Economics Pakistan gave the keynote speech on Islamic Microfinance, said that Islam has given the best system for poverty alleviation and both Muslims and non-Muslims can benefit from it. He emphasised that the people from Central Asia, the Caucasus, and South Asia can equally get benefit from Islamic principles of Microfinance. He said the out of the total population of 1.7 billion about 562 million are Muslims in these regions, which becomes important for financial inclusion through this system. Islamic Microfinance is compatible to work with any model of Microfinance and it has the alternative to all the products of conventional system.
He said that in the wake of the current financial crisis all around the globe, the Islamic Microfinance has gained even more importance due to its transparency and sustainability. He also discussed the poverty issues of Central Asia, the Caucasus, and South Asia separately so that Islamic Microfinance becomes an effective tool for poverty alleviation in these areas.
Zubair Mughal offered his services from AlHuda-Centre of Islamic Banking and Economics who have also set up a Help Desk for Advisory, Training and Capacity Building for Microfinance Institutions. We provide complete solutions in Islamic Microfinance for poverty alleviation are practiced effectively.-PR