BI Jember: 'SAMARA' Bondowoso sales transactions reach Rp900 million

The Jember Representative Office of Bank Indonesia recorded sales transactions of around Rp900 million from the Festival Muharam Semarak Ekonomi Syariah Sekarkijang (SAMARA) 2026 in Bondowoso Regency, East Java, over three days (19-21 June), delivering economic benefits to the community. Head of the Bank Indonesia Jember Representative Office, which oversees Bondowoso, Iqbal Reza Nugraha, said 90 MSME entrepreneurs participated in the event, both through direct exhibitions at Bondowoso’s town square and via e-commerce digital marketing channels. “The sharia economy and finance have a strategic role in driving inclusive and sustainable economic growth,” Iqbal stated in Bondowoso on Tuesday. He said his office would continue to enhance sharia financial literacy and inclusion, as well as strengthen pesantren-based and MSME economic institutions through the SAMARA 2026 Festival Muharam. Globally, he added, the sector’s development shows an increasingly positive trend, driven by the resilience of the sharia business model tested since the global financial crisis (2007-2008) and the rising adoption of halal lifestyles across various sectors. At the regional level, East Java holds a strategic position as a key driver of the national sharia economy. “Through strengthened stakeholder collaboration, programme innovation, and the use of digital transformation, sharia economic development in East Java is expected to become more inclusive, competitive, and sustainable,” Iqbal said. In line with national policy direction, Bank Indonesia continues to promote sharia economic and financial development through three main pillars: strengthening the integrated halal value chain ecosystem, optimising sharia financing, and expanding sharia economic and financial literacy and inclusion. “In its implementation, Bank Indonesia acts as a regulator, accelerator, and initiator through synergy with various stakeholders,” Iqbal noted. He revealed that the SAMARA 2026 event in Bondowoso is also part of the Road to the 2026 Sharia Economy Festival (FESyar) Jawa, scheduled for September 2026 in Surabaya. “Thus, this activity not only has a local impact but also strengthens the region’s contribution to the regional sharia economic development agenda,” Iqbal said. The SAMARA 2026 event embodies a shared commitment to strengthening the sharia economic and financial ecosystem in the Sekarkijang area (Jember, Banyuwangi, Bondowoso, Situbondo, and Lumajang). “Through this activity, it is hoped that synergy among stakeholders in developing the sharia economy and finance can be further reinforced, thereby driving inclusive, competitive, and sustainable regional economic growth,” he added. A business matching session also connected business actors with financial institutions, yielding financing commitments of Rp1.17 billion to support the development and expansion of local MSMEs. “Public enthusiasm for the entire series of activities was also reflected in the number of visitors, which reached more than 22,756 people. This demonstrates strong community support for the development of an inclusive and sustainable sharia economy and finance in Bondowoso and its surrounding areas,” Iqbal said.