Baznas and BP Taskin Strengthen Collaboration to Alleviate Poverty

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Alms Agency (Baznas) and the Poverty Alleviation Acceleration Agency (BP Taskin) are strengthening collaboration to alleviate poverty in Indonesia through various strategic programmes, particularly in the economic empowerment of mustahik (zakat recipients).

Baznas Deputy II for Distribution and Utilisation, Imdadun Rahmat, stated in Jakarta on Thursday that Baznas and BP Taskin have overlapping programmes that are highly strategic for collaboration in accelerating poverty alleviation. “The main focus that directly overlaps with BP Taskin’s priority targets is the destitute and poor groups, as these two groups occupy the first and second positions in distribution priorities,” he said. He expressed hope that these various programmes could be collaborated with BP Taskin, so that the benefits felt by the community become broader and have a significant impact on poverty alleviation efforts.

Meanwhile, BP Taskin’s Deputy for Acceleration of Welfare Facilitation and Protection, Zaidirina, appreciated Baznas’s support for various programmes run by BP Taskin, particularly through the Synergy Programme for Accelerating Poverty Alleviation (Si-Taskin). “We appreciate Baznas for supporting the Si-Taskin Programme from the beginning. This programme has been running 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 management,” she said.

According to Zaidirina, 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 is targeting an extreme poverty rate of 0 percent by 2026, while the relative poverty rate is to be reduced to 4.5 to 5 percent 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 assessed that poverty alleviation efforts are not sufficient through social assistance alone, but must also be directed towards increasing the self-reliance of beneficiaries. “Our main target is to realise the self-reliance of vulnerable groups, especially 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 forever at sea,” said Zaidirina.