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2007/01/16
Islamic Banking in Jordan
The subject of Islamic finance has received increasing attention in recent years, both from Moslem scholars and from those in the West with an interest in Islamic affairs. Much of the writing is of a theoretical nature, however, and it is only recently that the results of empirical investigations have started to appear. This paper is intended as a modest contribution to this empirical literature.
There are several reasons why the Jordanian experience is of special interest, and why it is worth examining in some detail.
1.
2. The economy is very open, with international transactions of considerable importance, reflecting
3. The banking laws are liberal, with the major banks being privately owned. Foreign banks are permitted to operate, although most business is handled by domestically-owned banks. There is much competition in the financial sector, involving both the banks themselves and money changers who handle a large portion of remittance transactions and business involving the
4. Islamic banking is well established in
5. There has been little written about Islamic banking in
Jordan ’s current financial position
The Jordanian economy has been remarkably resilient for over three decades, despite the traumatic experiences of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank in 1967, the Civil war in 1970, the difficult relations with Syria, and the spillover effects from the Gulf War involving Iraq, Jordan’s major trading partner. Growth rates have been high often averaging over 10 per cent per annum, well above those of neighbouring state such as
The economy’s main weakness has always been the trade imbalance, however, with export receipts covering only 20 to 30 per cent of import payments. Until recently this was not a problem as the foreign exchange gap was covered by remittances and aid inflows from abroad, initially from
At the same time remittances are falling sharply, the value declining by over one quarter in 1985. Although remittances in 1986 were better than expected, prospects are poor. The demand for foreign labour has declined sharply in the Gulf, partly reflecting the completion of labour-intensive infrastructural projects, but also as a result of the fall in investment caused by the fall in oil revenues. Even if the oil situation improves, it seems unlikely that there will be any substantial recruitment of new workers from
The Jordanian banking scene
It is important to be aware of these disturbing economic trends when assessing the prospects for banking in
Riba transactions in Jordan4
In the mid-1970s almost half the bank deposits with the commercial banks were in demand or current accounts on which zero or minimal interest was paid. By 1985, however, this proportion has fallen to below one-quarter, reflecting the increased competition for deposits in the banking sector. Most deposits are now in the form of term deposits for a fixed period or savings deposits which also earn interest. Non-residents, mainly Jordanian expatriates working in the Gulf, seem particularly keen to maintain interest-earning deposits, as only 15 per cent held demand deposits in 1985. This may reflect their lesser need for transactions balances, as they return to
As far as asset deployment is concerned, the commercial banks advance almost half their funds in the form of loans on which interest is payable, some through overdraft facilities, but an increasing amount through structured term lending. Around 10 percent of bank assets are held in interest-earning government bills and bonds, and around 15 per cent are held in foreign assets, again mainly interest-yielding securities. Less than 2 per cent of all commercial bank advances are in the form of direct investment.
Around one-quarter of commercial bank advances are in the form of trade finance, mostly credits to cover imports, although some are for purely domestic commerce. A similar proportion of commercial bank advances are for construction finance, although this proportion has been falling, reflecting the recession in the construction industry, which has affected even domestic house building and home extensions. Personal lending has increased in significance, however, and now accounts for over one-tenth of all commercial bank credit.
Although interest transactions are the prevalent form of bank business in
Origins of Islamic banking in Jordan
The Central Bank acted in an accommodating way to the introduction of Islamic banking into the kingdom, and responded positively to the initial suggestions which were made concerning this type of banking. While not wishing to see the banking system Islamised, the authorities were sensitive to the wishes of those who wanted Islamic financial services, and it was recognised that many believers were unhappy with the kind of banking facilities offered by the riba commercial banks. It was therefore thought that provision should be made for a plural system, which would accommodate both riba and halal financial transactions, the latter being the only type permissible under the Shani’a religious law. Accordingly, Law No. 13 of 1978 was drafted, published in the Official Gazette No 2733 of 1 April. It was this law that provided for the establishment of the Jordan Islamic Bank for Finance and Investment.
In framing this legislation the Finance Ministry sought the advice of Shani’a legal experts, as well as the Central Bank staff concerned with bank regulation. The initiative for the law, however, came as a result of an approach made to the Jordanian authorities by Sheikh Saleh Kamel of the Al Baraka Group, with backing from within
Several types of deposit are permitted. Trust deposits are like current account deposits which earn no return, but which are repayable in full by the bank on demand. Joint investment accounts can be opened by individuals or businesses who wish to share in the bank’s profits (or losses). The return on these deposits is not guaranteed, as such a guarantee would contravene Islamic law. Indeed there may be a zero return, as section 22(a) of the establishment law indicates, but in practice this has never happened. There are three kinds of joint investment accounts: savings accounts, notice accounts and fixed accounts. Money can be withdrawn from savings accounts subject to 10 days’ advance notice. The depositor gets a 50 per cent profit share, however, on his or her balance. Notice accounts, as their name implies, are subject to a longer minimum notice of withdrawal, three months, but depositors get a 70 per cent profit share on their balances. With fixed accounts depositors get a 90 per cent profit share, but funds are illiquid in the short term, the minimum deposit period being a year.
The Jordan Islamic Bank also provides specific investment accounts for clients seeking to invest in particular projects, with the bank acting as the client’s agent or investment manager. The bank shares in any profits from the investment, but is not liable to participate in any losses. This type of service provides a model for Islamic fund management, and represents a successful innovation in the Islamic financial field by the Jordanian bank. The bank may also provide muqaradah bonds,8 which maintain their face value, but entitle the holder to a share of the profits on the funds in which the money raised through the bond issues have been utilised. Such bonds have not yet been issued, but the provision of such a facility under the establishment law gives the bank increased flexibility.
The law provides for advances to be made by the bank on the mudarabah9 profit sharing principle, as well as through decreasing participation. The bank is also entitled to a profit share under the latter scheme, but the bank’s share of the project gradually diminishes over time. Short term finance for trade purposes can be advanced through re-purchasing schemes, as is the case with other Islamic banks.
Capital structure of the Jordan Islamic Bank
The authorised share capital of the Jordan Islamic Bank was JD 4 million,10 with shareholdings restricted to a maximum of 5 per cent of the total capital under Law No. 13 of 1978. The initial paid-up capital was JD 1 million, most of which was raised by public subscription, apart from the funds invested by the founder owners. Each year until 1983 a further JD 1 million was paid up until the whole authorised capital was subscribed. The founder subscribers were entitled to increase their participation in line with their initial subscriptions each year until 1983, but not all did so. By December 1980 only JD 273 was unsettled, but by 1981 this had risen to JD 168,492, representing almost 17 per cent of that year’s settlements. The position improved the following year, however, as only JD 56,983 was left unsubscribed out of the fourth capital issue. All of these shares were readily taken up by new purchasers who were keen to become owner participants in the bank because of its increasingly favourable reputation.
In 1985 some amendments to the bank’s establishment law were made when the bank’s permanent Law No. 62 was passed. The major change provided for an increase in the bank’s authorised capital to JD 6 million, a decision which was ratified by the General Assembly of the Bank at a meeting on 21 December 1985. All the bank’s shareholders are entitled to attend the General Assembly. This decision was taken partly as a result of the development of the bank’s business, and the need to have an adequate capital base. In addition, however, the Central Bank of
Sheikh Saleh Kamel of
Share values
Shares in the Jordan Islamic Bank have been actively traded since the creation of the company in 1979. Dealings in bank shares account for around 70 per cent of transactions in the Amman Financial Market, an exchange which has become the second most important in the Arab Middle East after Cairo in terms of the value of transactions.
used to be the leading market in the region, but dealings remain depressed following the Souk A1-Manakh debacle in 1982. The volume of dealings in shares in the Jordan Islamic Bank peaked in 1980 and 1981 as Table 1 shows, but since then the amount of trading has fallen. In 1980 it was the second most traded company on the Amman Financial Market after the Jordan and Gulf Bank, but more recently dealings have declined. The initial high volume of transactions partly reflected the enormous amount of interest in this new type of financial institution by market participants. Shareholders today tend to regard their holdings as long term, however, rather than tradeable instruments which can be sold to realise capital gains.
Table 7.1 Equity position of the Jordan Islamic Bank
Value of shares traded (JD thousands) | Numbers of shares traded (thousands) | Average share price1 (JD) | Yield2 (%) | |
1979 | 542 | 503 | 1.078 | 0.0 |
1980 | 4059 | 2757 | 1.472 | 0.0 |
1981 | 3886 | 2732 | 1.423 | 3.51 |
1982 | 6402 | 2517 | 2.544 | 3.14 |
1983 | 7261 | 2310 | 3.143 | 2.54 |
1984 | 6693 | 2015 | 3.322 | 2.71 |
1985 | 826 | 308 | 2.678 | 3.36 |
19863 | 186 | 82 | 2.268 | ND4 |
Notes:
1 Nominal value is JD 1,000
2 Calculated on the basis of shareholders dividend in relation to the actual average share
price
3 January to June
4 ND — not declared
Sources:
There is a willingness to hold on to the shares even when their value declines as shareholders feel themselves committed to the bank. As a capital asset the shares have done relatively well in any case. As Figure 1 shows, share prices in the Jordan Islamic Bank have consistently outperformed the index for all banks, as well as the
financial market index for all shares. Prices rose more than twice the general share index over the 1979-86 period and although bank shares did better than those for manufacturing and distributive trades, the value of shares in the Jordan Islamic Bank increased by almost 50 per cent more than banks on average. It was only during the 1980-81 period that the shares in the Jordan Islamic Bank performed less adequately, but this reflected the uncertainties of the early settling-down period. Nevertheless during this period the overwhelming majority of founder shareholders willingly subscribed to the increases in paid up capital as already indicated.
Deposit growth
The Jordan Islamic Bank started from a modest deposit base as might be expected for a new and novel kind of financial institution. Jordanians tend to be conservative, especially in financial matters, and preferred to adopt a “wait and see” approach before depositing their own funds. The initial publicity that surrounded the opening of the new bank brought only a limited public response, and most of the initial depositors were the bank’s own investors. The management was content to have a slow build up of business initially, as it would not have been easy to employ profitably a sudden surge in deposits in any case. Advertising was rejected as a means of attracting clients, instead the management’s policy was that the bank’s reputation could best be spread by word of mouth from existing satisfied customers to their relatives and friends.
Source:Central Bank of
It would, of course, have been easy to expand deposits rapidly by targeting a few affluent customers and larger businesses which could have deposited substantial sums. In
Types of deposit
Figure 2 illustrates the growth of deposits since the Jordan Islamic Bank’s inception. Initially trust accounts were the most popular, these being current accounts on which cheques can be drawn, as already indicated. The management was keen at the start to encourage such transactions accounts which earned no return, until the bank could build up an investment portfolio. Since 1980, however, joint investment accounts have become more significant, and it is this type of account which has come to dominate in terms of deposits. The percentage of total deposits accounted for by joint investment accounts rose from 54 per cent in 1980 to almost 62 per cent in 1983, and over 70 per cent by 1986. Of the various types of joint investment account offered, the fixed term account has proved the most popular, as it earns the highest return, 90 per cent of the declared profit proportion. Over 90 per cent of the joint investment deposits are of this type.
From the bank’s point of view this dominance of fixed term accounts means a secure deposit base. At least a year’s notice must be given for funds to be withdrawn, and in practice the amount under notice is extremely low. The bank can therefore back projects on a long-term basis, secure in the knowledge that most of its funding is also long term. There is little need to worry about unanticipated calls for funds, as in the case of riba commercial banks. Depositors know, however, that if an unexpected need arises, and there are unforeseen expenses such as hospital bills to be paid, then the bank will provide help. The bank maintains a Qird Hasan,14 or social purpose fund, to help the needy. A total of 595 loans was granted from this fund on an interest-free basis in 1985, these being worth JD 238,321. The bank has started to accept Qird Hasan deposits which must be specifically used to alleviate social hardship. In 1985 a total of JD 14,628 was deposited by 68 customers on this charitable basis.
Figure 2: J.I.B. DEPOSIT GROWTH
The management is keen to attract specified investment accounts, which as Figure 2 shows have grown steadily since 1983. By 1986 these accounted for over 10 per cent of deposits, and the management’s objective is to increase these accounts to over one- fifth of deposits by 1990. With this type of deposit, funds are invested in specified investment projects which the depositor requests, and the rate of return directly depends on the particular project being funded, rather than the bank’s overall profit. The depositor has therefore a greater degree of choice, but he bears the risk, and makes the gain (or loss).15 The bank’s role is to provide financial management for the project. It ensures that the funds are properly used, and that the interests of the investor are protected. The bank is therefore an investment services manager, bringing the parties in need of funds in touch with those with surplus funds.
Many customers maintain more than one type of deposit, running a trust account for their transactions’ needs, while at the same time placing longer-term funds in joint or specified investment accounts. Some of these long-term accounts are precautionary balances, to cover items such as medical expenses, although in
Role of Jordan Islamic Rank compared to other banks
The extent to which Islamic banks contribute to the institutionalisation of savings, has long been debated. It is through this process that a positive contribution to development can be made by matching savings with investment needs. Funds are employed in a systematic fashion using some form of rate of return criterion, thereby ensuring a more optimal use of resources. A major contribution to this process is made if Islamic banks encourage those who were not previously in the banking habit to use their services. Many Moslems were hesitant to use riba-based financial institutions, but Islamic banks provide them with a halal16 system of finance, to which there is no religious objection. Indeed, for believers, dealing with such institutions is preferable to personal hoarding, which like riba transactions, is condemned in the Quran.
The Jordan Islamic Bank seems to have attracted several thousand customers who were not previously in the banking habit, although the exact number cannot be assessed precisely, as clients are not asked such questions when they open accounts. It seems likely that many trust (current) account holders are in this position, a quarter of the total Some may have used riba banks in the past, and then closed their accounts when the Jordan Islamic Bank opened, but this probably only applies in a small minority of cases Bank customer loyalty is as significant in Jordan as elsewhere. Few with trust accounts with the Jordan Islamic Bank maintain current accounts with other banks, however, as the holding of multiple accounts which earn no return is extremely wasteful.
Many clients of the Jordan Islamic Bank who maintain only joint investment accounts also have current accounts with other banks. This applies especially in the case of business customers. The accounts with the Jordan Islamic Bank are viewed as long-term investments, whereas the other accounts are transactions balances. For individuals this is less likely to be the case, and they may not need current accounts.
The Jordan Islamic Bank has probably not contributed as much to the spread of banking as some of the Islamic banks in the Gulf, simply because most Jordanian with significant means already banked prior to its establishment. The bank has made a more significant contribution to the spread of banking in the provincial centres where it established branches, rather than in
The Jordan Islamic Bank is continuing to expand its deposits rapidly, however, in spite of the recession which
Table 2: Recent Trends in Deposit Growth in the
Accounts | Trust accounts | Joint investment accounts | Specified investment account |
Deposit value (JD) | |||
Dec 1984 | 22,297,948 | 60,570,798 | 6,610,710 |
June 1985 | 24,696,330 | 68,977,848 | 9,895,949 |
Dec 1985 | 23,745,917 | 79,118,479 | 10,703,701 |
June 1986 | 24,876,300 | 90,400,921 | 13,228,938 |
Deposit growth (%) | |||
Dec 1984-Dec 1985 | 6.51(-10.2)2 | 30.61 (15.0)2 | 61.9 |
June1985-June 1986 | 0.71 (0.5)2 | 31.01 (9.8)2 | 33.7 |
Deposit shares (%) | |||
Dec 1984 | 24.9 | 67.7 | 7.4 |
June 1986 | 19.4 | 70.3 | 10.3 |
Notes: 1Refers to demand deposits in all commercial banks.
2Refers to time deposits in all commercial banks.
Sources:
Asset deployment
Most of the Jordan Islamic Bank’s funds are placed in Islamic investments on a profit basis. Figure 3 shows the growth of the bank’s assets, with almost JD80 million invested on an Islamic basis by 1986, and over JD 45 million in cash holdings. Initially cash holdings predominated, as Islamic investments take time to 21 but by 1980 Islamic investments were already more significant. The proportion of bank assets accounted for by Islamic investments amounted to over 54 per cent by 1983, and by 1986 this figure had risen to almost 56 per cent out of a total asset portfolio exceeding JD 142 million. These Islamic investments mostly consist of 1 advances to business clients on the profit sharing principle. About 20 per cent are trade credits provided through the purchase of goods on behalf of clients, who re-purchase the goods when they in turn have arranged sales.
This figure also includes leasing arrangements on the ijara18 Islamic principle. The leasing is for a specified period, at the end of which the client will make a final payment and take over the ownership of the goods in question.
The relatively high holdings of cash by the bank should be noted. In 1983 this proportion was 26 per cent, and in 198 the figure had risen to almost 32 per cent. This refers partly to cash in hand, but it also includes deposits with other commercial banks and the Central Bank of
Islamic community finance
The specified investments identified separately in Figure 3 are also, of course, undertaken on an Islamic basis, and the essential principle involved is mudarabah or profit sharing. These investments, nevertheless, have to be distinguished from the more general type of Islamic investments already discussed, which take the form of portfolio investment in the sense that the Jordan Islamic Bank has only a minority stake in the enterprises it is supporting. With specified investments the bank itself is the instigator of the investment, and wholly owns and controls the projects involved. This can therefore be regarded as direct investment. The major instance of this type of investment is the Al-Rawdah housing project in north
Work was started on the smaller plot in north
As Table 3 shows, the assets accounted for by specific investments continue to grow rapidly reflecting these housing developments. If specific investment funds from depositors continue to grow as rapidly as recently then a corresponding build-up of the bank’s specific investment will occur. The Jordan Islamic Bank will be well placed to undertake further large direct investments in housing and other fields, and the experience learnt from the Al-Rawdah scheme should be invaluable.
Table 3: Assets of the
Cash | General Investment | Specific investment | Fixed assets | |
Asset Value (JD) | ||||
Dec 1984 | 27,555,017 | 63,013,403 | 5,636,284 | 3,842,930 |
June 1985 | 33,442,402 | 66,404,051 | 4,111,218 | 4,472,492 |
Dec 1985 | 38,855,419 | 71,013,906 | 10,107,048 | 4,865,563 |
June 1986 | 45,362,485 | 79,650,758 | 12,279,117 | 4,969,438 |
Asset growth (%) | ||||
Dec1984-Dec1985 | 41.0 | 12.7 | 79.3 | 26.6 |
June1985-June1986 | 35.6 | 19.9 | 34.8 | 11.1 |
Asset Shares (%)* | ||||
Dec 1984 | 27.0 | 61.7 | 5.5 | 3.8 |
June 1986 | 31.2 | 54.8 | 8.5 | 34.0 |
Note: Does not add to 100 per cent as other assets such as securities, non-interest yielding bills, etc., excluded.
Sources: As Table 1.
General investment policy
Figure 4 shows the distribution of funds by the Jordan Islamic Bank. This refers to the allocation of the Islamic investment funds already discussed, rather than the specified investments which have been in housing to date as indicated in the previous section. Most of the bank’s lending has been to industry, mainly small manufacturing establishments producing plastics, soaps; medicines and other products which are sold mostly in the local market and in neighbouring Arab countries such as
Advances for trade are second in importance as Figure 4 shows, much of this being on a resale basis as already discussed. This type of advance is more liquid than industrial investments which tend to be long term, the period for trade advances typically being one year or less, and often as short as three months.
Figure 4: DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS BY J.I.B.
1984 Total Lending = J.D. 63 million
1985 Total Lending = J.D. 71million
Source :
maintain its share in the years ahead. Lending for real estate acquisition has continued to increase. With real-estate values depressed, the bank’s view is that this is a good to invest, as property will appreciate once the economy moves out of recession. This seems a reasonable judgment, as prices are no longer falling, and the expectation is for a market improvement. It was only financial institutions which invested in real estate speculation at the height of the boom in the 1970s that got into difficulties over asset valuations when the boom ended. The
Investment in transport undertakings declined over the 1984-85 period in relative terms as Figure 4 shows, largely reflecting the difficulties in
Returns on investment
The revenue which the Jordan Islamic Bank earns on its investments compares favourably with the earnings of other financial institutions. Figure 5 shows the returns since 1980, which are expressed in money values. The decline over the 1982-84 period merely reflects the drop in the rate of inflation, and in real terms the return is higher. Inflation has declined from over 7 per cent in the early 1980s to under 4 per cent per annum. This means a real rate of return of 31/2 per cent over the 1984-85 period, which is quite adequate by Jordanian standards. Higher returns can of course be earned by more risky investments, but the bank’s management tends to be prudent in its asset deployment policy, as already indicated. Furthermore the bank is keen to back socially-constructive projects, rather than ventures of dubious national value to
Figure 5 also shows the margin for risk which the bank sets aside in case of default by those funded. In practice the calls on these reserves are very limited, as the bank’s clients, being committed Moslems, are honest in their business dealings, and are fully aware of their responsibilities towards the bank and its depositors. The bank has perhaps the best clientele in
Figure 5: RETURNS ON ISLAMIC INVESTMENTS AND RISK PROVISION %
safety first approach, and allow an adequate margin of funds to cover any contingencies that might arise. With the favourable repayments record, and good return on investment, it has been possible to establish a large contingency fund for investment risk, which stood at over JD 3 million in 1986. A specific portion of the bank’s cash assets is earmarked for this fund.
Distribution of profits
Figure 6 shows the profits which have been distributed to investors. These are, of course, determined by the bank’s own investment returns. They compare favourably with the interest paid by riba-based commercial banks, the returns being consistently above the rate of inflation. The return has been calculated on the basis of 90 per cent of the declared dividend, the rate earned by those holding fixed term joint investment accounts, which, as already indicated, accounts for the overwhelming proportion of investment deposits.
This return is above the interest which most of those holding time deposits with the riba-based banks earn. Only those who deposit very large amounts with the Jordanian commercial banks can earn higher returns. The Central Bank of
Figure 6: PROFITS FOR DISTR TO JOINT INVESTMENT ACCOUNT HOLDERS COMPARED TO INTEREST PAYMENTS BY RIBA BANKS
Staffing issues
The Jordan Islamic Bank recruited most of its initial senior staff from other Jordanian banks and the financial services sector, as the emphasis was on the hiring of competent and experienced personnel. There was little need to recruit abroad given the wealth of banking talent within
Further down the seniority ladder, school leavers were recruited for clerical and other tasks, and the bank developed its own training programme. Within the bank’s new headquarters building in the Shmeisani district of Amman there are a lecture room and teaching facilities. Specialist courses are provided for the bank’s staff on Islamic banking practices and techniques. Employees have also been sent to the Banking Institute of the Central Bank of
The Islamic investment house
The encouraging success of the Jordan Islamic Bank contrasts with that of the kingdom’s other major Islamic financial institution, the Islamic Investment House. This institution was founded on 10 September 1981 with an authorised capital of JD4 million, the same amount as the Jordan Islamic Bank.21 It received its permit to operate from the Central Bank of
The aims of the institution were similar to those of the Jordan Islamic Bank, as it was intended to provide financial services for both investors and those in need of funds on a riba-free basis. From the start, however, the institution was regarded as a vehicle for those with substantial funds to invest, rather than an ordinary deposit bank. As its name suggested, it was primarily an investment house, although the use of the word house in the title was partly be some Moslems object to any reference to banks.22
The Jordan Investment House did not establish a branch network, however although it offered similar types of accounts to the Jordan Islamic Bank, including demand deposits, and three kinds of joint investment deposit. Initially in 1982 only demand deposits were accepted, and JD 729,971 was deposited. By 1983 when joint investment deposits started to be accepted, demand deposits fell to JD 633,251, as some investors switched to profit-earning deposits. Notice deposits proved the most popular as with the Jordan Islamic Bank, these accounting for around 90 per cent of the JD 1.5 million in joint investment accounts in 1983.By 1984 this figure had grown to over JD 5.5 million, including JD 628,000 deposited in foreign currency. This represented about 9 per cent of the amount invested in the Jordan Islamic Bank.
Investment policy
The Islamic Investment House pursued an active investment policy with the limited funds it had at its disposal. The investments undertaken were imaginative, and at first sight seemed sound projects to back. A 30 per cent stake was acquired in the ship Farah which carries passengers, cars and trucks from Aqaba to other Red Sea ports including Jeddah in
All these ambitious projects were supervised by the Islamic Investment House’s small staff of 1.5 in 1982, and 35 by 1983-84. A very high proportion of the House’s deposits was invested, only 22.7 per cent of assets being liquid cash or bank deposits in 1982. The following year this proportion declined to 11 per cent, although in 1984 there was a slight increase to 13.7 per cent. This left only a small margin to meet unexpected withdrawals by depositors. These were less than half the proportion of cash reserves held by the much more prudent management of the Jordan Islamic Bank. Clearly with hindsight it appears the Islamic Investment House was not adequately covered to meet unforeseen contingencies.
The financial crisis
The worsening recession in the Jordanian economy and the neighbouring Arab states had disastrous consequences for the Islamic Investment House. Problems started to appear in 1983, but the House was committed to the projects it was backing, and did not want to let its clients down. The real estate ventures were particularly unfortunate, as there were problems letting the villas in Zayy and Al-Ghour, as the market became depressed, and there were few newcomers seeking this type of rather expensive rented accommodation. Many of those who had been given advances for house purchase were unable to repay the instalments to the House, as their incomes had fallen with the recession, and a large proportion was dependent on income from the Gulf.
The fall in remittances with the oil recession and the dismissal of Jordanian workers in
Table 4: Returns to Deposits with the Islamic Investment House and
Islamic Investment House and
Islamic Investment House | ||||
1983 | 1984 | 1983 | 1984 | |
Investment deposits | 5.4 | 5.5 | 2.7 | 2.8 |
Notice deposits | 6.3 | 6.5 | 3.8 | 4.0 |
Fixed deposits | 8.1 | 8.3 | 4.9 | 5.1 |
Sources: Islamic Investment House Second and Third Annual Reports, 1983 and 1984,
Islamic Bank. Profits paid out were as shown in Table 4 for 1983 and 1984. These were in fact higher than those for the Jordan Islamic Bank, being over 60 per cent greater for the one-year fixed deposits in which most account holders invested. Those investing with the Islamic Investment House may have expected a higher return however, as placing money with a small institution always implies a greater risk.
With low profits on its investments, and the need to pay out high returns to its account holdings, the Islamic Investment House got into serious difficulties in 1984. A rumour spread that it could no longer meet withdrawals by depositors, although this was unfounded. Nevertheless, the value of its shares started to decline rapidly, and the Central Bank of
Investors cannot complain too much, as the Islamic Investment House had tried to honour its commitments, and they have not lost their deposits. Rather, all they have forgone are the dividend receipts. Their deposits were placed on a profit-sharing basis, however, and with no profits, there can be no gain. This must be a lesson for the investors, but the principle of sharing in hardship as well as in good fortune is, after all, an important tenet of the Moslem religion.
Despite the setbacks which the Islamic Investment House has experienced, the Jordanian experience of Islamic banking has been on the whole one of success, with the Jordan Islamic Bank emerging as a major domestic financial institution. It now ranks sixth in terms of the value of assets as far as Jordanian banks are concerned, and it is the second fastest growing Jordanian bank after the Bank of Jordan and the Gulf. It accounts for over 5 per cent of the total assets of the Jordanian banking system.24
The Jordan Islamic Bank has also been successful in encouraging many believers to use its services as a riba-free bank rather than hoarding. It ranks fifth in
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