We also need to reiterate our commitment that zakat agencies must be compliant to the Islamic law, regulations, and the national interest
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Religious Affairs Ministry highlighted the importance of an operational license for zakat (Islamic alms) agencies to ensure the funds will not be misappropriated and that public trust will be maintained.

"The government allowed the public to participate in zakat management through zakat agencies. Regulations and alms agency licenses granted by the ministry following Baznas (National Alms Agency) recommendation aims to protect the fund trusted by almsgivers," the ministry's Director of Zakat and Waqf Utilization, Tarmizi Tohor, stated here, Monday (January 30).

The ministry's officials should continue to disseminate information on the importance of zakat agency license to the public, he underscored.

Meanwhile, Tohor said that the zakat agency must focus on the people's economic empowerment rather than merely distribute alms trusted by the public.

Empowering the poor to free them from poverty and convert them from alms recipients to almsgivers must be the ultimate goal of those agencies, he emphasized.

"We also need to reiterate our commitment that zakat agencies must be compliant to the Islamic law, regulations, and the national interest," he stated.

The ministry's data on January 2023 indicated that 108 private zakat agencies offering their services to the public are active despite not holding the ministry's license.

Meanwhile, 140 zakat agencies have received the ministry's license, which includes 37 alms agencies active at the national level, 33 agencies at the provincial level, and 70 agencies at the city and district level.

Moreover, the non-structural government alms management institution, Baznas, has branches in 34 provinces and 464 cities and districts.

In response to the finding, Tohor reiterated the ministry's commitment to maintaining the zakat ecosystem in Indonesia and welcomed the increasing number of licensed alms agencies that could contribute to eradicating poverty in Indonesia.

"The more licensed zakat agency, the better, because more funds will be collected and more people will be assisted," the director remarked.

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Translator: Asep Firmansyah, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Sri Haryati
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