Baznas and BP Taskin Forge Collaboration to Accelerate Poverty Alleviation

The National Alms Agency (Baznas) and the Poverty Alleviation Acceleration Agency (BP Taskin) are strengthening their collaboration to eradicate poverty in Indonesia through various strategic programmes, particularly in the economic empowerment of mustahik (zakat recipients). This emerged during an audience between Baznas and BP Taskin held at the Baznas Building in Jakarta. Baznas Deputy II for Distribution and Utilisation, M. Imdadun Rahmat, stated that Baznas and BP Taskin have overlapping strategic programmes that can be synergised to accelerate poverty alleviation. He noted that Baznas’s primary focus on the destitute and poor aligns with the priority targets set by BP Taskin. “The main focus that directly overlaps with BP Taskin’s priority targets is the destitute and poor, as these two groups occupy the first and second positions in distribution priorities,” he said. Imdadun explained that Baznas currently runs 43 distribution programmes spanning various sectors, including humanitarian aid, disaster response, health, religious outreach, economy, and education. He expressed hope that these programmes could be integrated with BP Taskin’s efforts to broaden the benefits felt by the community and significantly impact poverty alleviation. Meanwhile, BP Taskin’s Deputy for Facilitation and Welfare Protection Acceleration, Zaidirina, appreciated Baznas’s support for BP Taskin’s programmes, particularly through the Si-Taskin (Synergy for Poverty Alleviation Acceleration) programme. “We greatly appreciate Baznas for supporting the Si-Taskin programme from the outset. This programme has been implemented in various regions, such as Pandeglang, Tangerang, Jember, Cilacap, Bogor, Aceh, and North Toraja. We hope this collaboration will continue to be enhanced under the new Baznas leadership,” she said. She added that cross-institutional collaboration is crucial given the government’s ambitious poverty alleviation targets. Based on the National Long-Term Development Plan (RPJPN) and the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN), the government aims for zero per cent extreme poverty by 2026 and to reduce the relative poverty rate to between 4.5 and 5 per cent by 2029. To achieve these targets, Zaidirina believes many of Baznas’s flagship programmes can be synergised with BP Taskin, including MSME development and community economic empowerment programmes. She emphasised that poverty alleviation efforts must go beyond social assistance and be directed towards enhancing the self-reliance of beneficiaries. “Our main target is to achieve self-reliance for vulnerable groups, particularly those in the first to third deciles. Social assistance and social protection are like lifebuoys. After people are given lifebuoys, they must be helped to climb onto the boat (graduation), not left floating in the sea forever,” she said.