"Currently, the total collected alms have reached Rp42 trillion, but the figure is still far from the maximum potential," the ministry's director general of Islamic community guidance, Abu Rokhmad, said in Jakarta on Tuesday.
He underlined that zakat collection must be pursued jointly to bolster its contribution to the alleviation of poverty and the improvement of people's welfare.
According to Rokhmad, zakat optimization will not only focus on the amount of alms collected but also the effectiveness of its distribution.
He emphasized the importance of utilizing the National Integrated Socioeconomic Data (DTSEN) as a reference in distributing zakat so that it can be more accurate and does not overlap with other social assistance.
In addition, he emphasized that public trust in zakat management must continue to be maintained, adding that transparency and accountability are the main factors for increasing community participation in zakat.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs is also encouraging zakat institutions to innovate in collecting alms, especially by utilizing digital technology to make it more accessible to the public.
Furthermore, he underscored the importance of synergy between the government, zakat institutions, and various parties in optimizing national zakat potential.
This collaboration is expected to boost the effectiveness of zakat-based economic empowerment programs.
"Zakat is not only for consumption but must also be an instrument for economic empowerment. We must ensure zakat funds can help poor communities to be empowered and independent," he said.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs is committed to continuing to assist and supervise zakat institutions to ensure they are more professional in managing zakat.
With improvements in its collection and distribution, zakat is expected to have a bigger impact on poverty alleviation and the sustainable improvement of people's welfare.
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Translator: Asep Firmansyah, Raka Adji
Editor: Arie Novarina
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