Closing Remark

Ms. Adiyatwidi Adiwoso Asmady

Executive Director of NAM CSSTC

Distinguished  Representative of the Islamic Development Bank,

Distinguished Experts and Participants

Assalamu’alaikum wr. wb.

Good Afternoon,

Time goes very fast.  Without realizing we have been together for almost 6 days.  In the last 5 days all of you have been working very hard to find the best ways in formulating a basic guideline on microfinance.  I know that the task being put on your shoulder is not an easy one.  Many references, ideas and experiences need to be put together in a concise and practical way.  All the experts have shown their enthusiasm, dedication and outstanding contribution to  fervently make the task possible.

I have been following the meeting very closely and I believe that all of you have done your utmost to finalize the Basic Guideline.  I would like to express my high appreciation to all of you.  And it was to my surprise that the two working groups are able to give a final draft of the Basic Guideline.        

We all agree that this Basic Guideline on Microfinance should be a master contribution and beneficial to the efforts to alleviate poverty in the developing countries.  It will be a positive contribution to policy makers, experts, financial institution and field practitioners in microfinance in the developing countries.  And it is also our hope that the Basic Guideline be used in the national, regional and international meeting as reference as well as in formulating the microfinance policy in each developing country.   

The achievement of the experts in drafting the  Basic Guideline before us is  considered to be the best.  Even though the draft needs further enrichment with ideas and  reformulation  by the experts in the later stage.  The process of editing would also require further work.  Although we will close the session of the expert meeting, but the NAM CSSTC still needs your assistance in finalizing the Basic Guideline.  We hope that the Basic Guideline can be published and distributed in the near future, with your approval of course.  I will suggest that the Basic Guideline to be published in two months from now.  In this matter, I will first seek your approval.   Mr. Achmad Rofi’e and Mr. Mohamad Narziwan will communicate with you in finalizing the Basic Guideline.  The NAM CSSTC will also seek inputs from  other competent resource persons to complete the draft for a more perfection.

After publishing the Basic Guideline, the NAM CSSTC is also considering to have a follow-up programme on the micro finance that will beneficial to the developing countries. Let me assure you that we will seek the possibility of having joint programme with other institutions  that share common interests in microfinancing; hopefully with the IDB.

Ladies and Gentlemen

I hope that the last five days we all have learned and shared important experiences from each other.  It is also my personal hope that these five days bring you a memorable times as a part of the family of the NAM CSSTC and the close relationship that we all have built among us during our meeting. I am convinced that without your high dedication and enthusiasm in formulating the Basic Guideline, it would be impossible for the NAM CSSTC to achieve its mission in contributing to the needs of the developing countries.   

For that purpose, I would like to express my personal and also on behalf of the NAM CSSTC  our  high gratitude to all experts: Mr. Shabbir, Mr. Saleem, Mr. Bbenkele, Mr. Sidup, Mr. Wang, Mr. Pearson, Mr. Luis, Mr. Nevine, Mr. Saman, Mr. Nazirwan and Ms Septiana for their dedication and contribution during the meeting.  I hope that all of you would always be willing  to further contribute to the works of the NAM CSSTC in the future.

I would also express our deepest gratitude to Mr. Charmeida  Tjokrosuwarno that has made this joint cooperation between the Islamic Development Bank and NAM CSSTC possible.   I believe that the two institutions share common interests in contributing to the development of the developing countries. It is our hope that the IDB will continue to support the work of the NAM CSSTC in the future.

Lastly, I wish all the experts have a safe journey home and hope that all of you will bring home wonderful memories of Indonesia and the NAM CSSTC.  Every time you think of us please wear the Batik.  We will keep in touch and hope that you all will visit us again. I hate to say goodbye but I will say until we meet again sometime and somewhere.

Wassalamu’alaikum wr.wb.

Thank you.