The World Gold Council and Amanie Advisors have launched this consultation to seek the views and perspectives of a wide range of Islamic finance practitioners and scholars in order to ensure that the Standard reflects their perspectives and provides sufficient and practical Shariah guidance. The exposure draft provides guidance on Shariah principles that are used in financial dealings that involve gold. The Standard has been developed on a non-exclusive basis and so should be applicable to all areas of Shariah-compliant financial transactions that involve physically-backed gold.
Aram Shishmanian, Chief Executive Officer of the World Gold Council, said:
“As the Islamic financial services market grows in size and importance, so does the need for a greater understanding of the application of Shariah guidance on the use of gold. While there is some guidance for gold coins and bars, there is virtually no guidance on gold elsewhere in the financial sector. We know there is a desire and demand for Shariah-compliant gold backed products amongst institutions and individuals and our purpose with this consultation is to ensure that any Shariah Standard on Gold developed by the World Gold Council takes into account a full range of views, inspires confidence and ultimately provides access to gold in the Islamic world.”
Datuk Dr Mohd Daud Bakar, Chairman of Amanie Advisors, said:
“Gold has a unique status in Islam, but the existing Islamic standards for gold are fragmented, hampering product development and market demand. The development of a Shariah Standard on Gold is part of a broader process of harmonisation within the industry. It will provide clear guidance on gold to individuals and institutions, which will bring time and cost savings to the industry, great choice, and should ultimately enhance liquidity and growth within the Islamic finance industry.”
Interested parties are invited to respond with views on the exposure draft of the proposed Shariah Standard for Gold. The exposure draft and consultation questionnaire can be found online here: www.gold.org/shariah.
The consultation period closes on 31 December 2015.
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For further information please contact: Melissa McVeigh |
Sarah-Jane Spooner |
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Note to editors: World Gold Council The World Gold Council is the market development organisation for the gold industry. Working within the investment, jewellery and technology sectors, as well as engaging in government affairs, our purpose is to provide industry leadership, whilst stimulating and sustaining demand for gold. We develop gold-backed solutions, services and markets, based on true market insight. As a result, we create structural shifts in demand for gold across key market sectors. We provide insights into the international gold markets, helping people to understand better the wealth preservation qualities of gold and its role in meeting the social and environmental needs of society. Based in the UK, with operations in India, the Far East, Europe and the US, the World Gold Council is an association whose members include the world’s leading and most forward thinking gold mining companies. |
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Amanie Advisors
Amanie Advisors is a world leader in Shariah advisory specializing in Islamic finance solutions covering a wide range of services including Shariah advisory and consultancy, Shariah governance and policies, Islamic finance framework, conversion exercises, training and research & development. Amanie provides total Shariah solutions to both financial institutions and non-financial institutions clientele.
Our best-fit and cutting-edge solutions developed and delivered directly to Amanie’s clients are measured against high-level fiduciary and governance standards. Islamic capital markets, retail/wholesale banking, project finance and asset management are the key areas of Amanie’s strength, and as an advisory firm we continually break new grounds in advising our clients on strategic transactions, and in pioneering the global expansion of Islamic finance. Guided by its international Shariah Supervisory Board comprising of world renowned Shariah scholars, Amanie provides end-to-end Shariah solutions to the client through its offices in Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, Luxembourg, Cairo, Melbourne, Astana, Muscat, Seoul, Dublin and Tunis.
The company is led by Datuk Dr. Mohd Daud Bakar, a renowned global Shariah scholar and teamed by an active and established panel of consultants covering every aspect related to the Islamic banking and finance industry to serve both international and local perspectives through global practices to its clients.
