Short-Term Financial Instrument

The International Islamic Liquidity Management Corporation (the IILM) and Thomson Reuters hosted a two-day roundtable in Washington DC, United States of America from April 15th to 16th, 2015 on liquidity management instruments for Islamic financial institutions. The roundtable included presentations and active discussions amongst central bank regulators, bankers, practitioners and the IILM officers, supported by study conducted by Thomson Reuters. The roundtable reviewed many of the issues inhibiting Islamic banks’ ability to manage their liquidity in detail and approached the subject via many different perspectives. The roundtable provided an overview and a detailed comparative analysis on available short-term financial instruments used by Islamic financial institutions to manage their liquidity needs. Participants raised potential solutions that can help Islamic banks to better manage their surplus liquidity and deal with liquidity shortfalls.

Regulator’s Perspective

The IILM and Thomson Reuters co-organised a two-day Roundtable from August 6-7, 2014 in London, UK, on liquidity management instruments for Islamic financial institutions. The Roundtable included presentations and active discussions between central bank regulators, banking practitioners, the IILM, and supported by data from a survey of bankers conducted by Thomson Reuters. The Roundtable reviewed in detail many of the issues that inhibit Islamic banks’ ability to manage their liquidity. Participants addressed issues that can help Islamic financial institutions to better manage their surplus liquidity and deal with liquidity shortfalls, some of which are highlighted in this whitepaper.

The Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB)

The IFSB has established a High Level Taskforce on Liquidity Management (HLTF), mandated to develop a liquidity framework to facilitate and offer liquidity solutions to market players so as to promote better liquidity management by the Islamic financial institutions. The HLTF is also mandated to study the viability of the proposal to establish an entity which would issue Shari’ah compliant instruments that are highly liquid and transferable in the secondary financial market.

Bank Negara Malaysia

The recent global financial crisis has underscored the critical importance of robust liquidity risk management practices by financial institutions and a sound financial market structure that is able to support the aggregate liquidity needs of the financial system.

The Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB)

This paper discusses a global overview of liquidity management in institutions offering Islamic financial services. It also investigates the challenges and issues which impact an effective liquidity management process. The main challenge and issue with liquidity management is to make it a globally accepted process by having global standardisation.

The Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB)

This Technical Note proposes a strategy for development of an Islamic money market.

Malaysia International Islamic Financial Centre (MIFC)

Islamic financial institutions and regulators are creating a new international architecture to manage Islamic liquidity.