TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Govt only able to juice 1.3% of zakat potential nationwide
Change Size
The National Alms Agency (Baznas) building in Jakarta. (Courtesy of http://bimasislam.kemenag.go.id//-)
N
ational zakat (Islamic alms) collection last year totaled only Rp 3.6 trillion (US$281 million), or 1.3 percent of the huge potential of zakat in the country, estimated at Rp 286 trillion.
National Alms Agency (Baznas) chairman Bambang Sudibyo highlighted the significance of zakat for helping alleviate poverty and improve welfare. According to a 2011 joint report by the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB) and Baznas, potential zakat reached Rp 217 trillion. This year, the potential is predicted to increase to Rp 286 trillion.
"However, awareness in Indonesia is still low. In 2015, Baznas recorded zakat collection of only Rp 3.6 trillion, or 1.3 percent of its potential," Bambang said at the State Palace on Thursday.
In a bid to boost zakat collection, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo urged his Cabinet to pay zakat through Baznas in the State Palace on Thursday. This is the first event in Indonesia where all ministers and government institution leaders have paid zakat through Baznas.
Bambang explained the event was initiated by the President when he paid his zakat two days prior. "The President wants all official, from ministers to director generals and institution leaders, to pay their zakat at the palace, today," he said.
Most of the ministry has been implementing the obligations of zakat in accordance with the 2014 Presidential Instruction (Inpres) on optimizing zakat collection, Bambang said. This system allows ministries, agencies and state-owned enterprises to have zakat directly deducted from their salaries. (ags)
