Zakat Potential to Promote Indonesia to World Sharia Economic Center: President Jokowi Says

President Jokowi accompanied by Minister of Religious Affairs and Cabinet Secretary on the payment of zakat to Baznas, at the State Palace, Jakarta, Thursday (16/5). (Photo by: Jay/PR).

Zakat (alms) is important to boost economic growth, alleviate poverty, improve people’s welfare, and promote Indonesia to become the center of world sharia economy, President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo has said.

Therefore, President Jokowi invited muzakki (zakat payer) to pay their zakat through the National Zakat Board (Baznas). Also on the occasion, the President asked Minister of Religious Affairs Lukman Hakim Saifuddin whether it is time to establish a Presidential Regulation on zakat management for state civil apparatus.

“If it is deemed necessary, please submit (the proposal) to me,” President Jokowi said in his remarks after paying zakat to Baznas at the State Palace, Jakarta, Thursday (16/5).

According to the President, muzakki can pay zakat through Baznas so that the zakat can be more organized in its distribution to the mustahiq (those eligible to receive zakat).

Furthermore, President Jokowi expressed hope that in the zakat collection and distribution process, it will be digitally integrated with a good system database so that the distribution can be more effective and efficient.

The President also stressed that the large potential of zakat in Indonesia must be optimized in order to strengthen the national sharia economic ecosystem. He cited a Baznas report that the Zakat Board only managed to collect Rp18 trillion out of Rp232 trillion zakat potentials in the country. “There is still a huge potential,” he added.

On the occasion, President Jokowi also appreciated that in the past five years, the growth of zakat collection through Baznas has reached 26.64 percent on average. “This is a tremendous growth and I hope that in the future there will be a significant jump in the collection and management of zakat in our country,” he said. (FID/JAY/ES)

Translated by: Galuh Wicaksono
Edited by: Muhardi/Mia Medyana