Salam financing: from common local issues to a potential international framework

Abstract

PurposeThis research is concerned with the development of Salam, which caters for the specific needs of farmers, who form a vital yet fragile group in most developing nations. Based on the local context of Aceh Province in Indonesia which is considered to be parallel with other developing countries, the purpose of this paper is to embrace the whole set of issues and sketch out an extended Business Model Canvas (BMC) for Salam financing by delineating the three W’s of What, Why and How Salam can be offered by Islamic Banks (IBs).Design/methodology/ApproachIn-depth interviews were conducted with key stakeholders comprising of farmers, higher-ranking bankers of IBs, members of the Syariah Supervisory Board and academicians who are experts in Islamic finance. The re sults of the interviews added to a review of the literature were also mapped onto an extended canvas model.FindingsSeveral interesting insights are derived and, primarily, that Salam is a feasible product to be offered by IBs, provided that there is a significant change in the thinking paradigm and risk mitigation models by all stakeholders, but mainly the IBs and the regulators.Research limitations/implicationsThis study may be limited in the number and range of respondents who were chosen for interview. There are possibly other key informants, such as regulators and local custom figures, who may willing to provide useful information. The application of BMC for Salam may also be relatively new, hence its justification for a wider implementation may still need further analysis.Originality/valueThis study is deemed to add significant perspectives on product development and innovation in Islamic banking and particularly regarding Salam. This study advances the method used to study Salam by contextualising the product mapping of Salam into an extended BMC.