He noted that waqf, especially in the form of money and productive assets, can be potentially used for regional development schemes to support the community’s welfare and independence.
“We encourage the implementation of productive activities based on the philosophy of waqf, namely philanthropy,” he said.
He made the statement at the 2025 National Coordination Meeting of the Indonesian Waqf Agency (BWI) in Jakarta on Wednesday, according to a statement issued the same day.
In his remarks, Huntoyungo highlighted various obstacles to waqf implementation, such as low waqf literacy among people, lack of professional nazhir (waqf managers), weak waqf management institutions, suboptimal regulations, and the lack of a national digital system that allows integrated waqf asset monitoring.
He also emphasized that regional governments play a key role in strengthening the waqf ecosystem in their respective regions. With the authority to set policies, allocate budgets, and deploy officials, they can be the main driving force for collaboration in waqf management.
He further said that regional governments possess a bureaucratic infrastructure that can reach all levels of society and businesses. Therefore, synergy between regional governments and the regional BWI offices is crucial.
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On that occasion, the BSKDN head also emphasized that the BWI must be positioned as the government’s strategic partner in development.
To this end, the Ministry of Home Affairs is ready to encourage the strengthening of the BWI’s position in the regions.
He also urged the BWI and regional governments to develop a five-year waqf development road map, focusing on productive programs with direct impact, such as building social infrastructure.
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Translator: Fianda Sjofjan, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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