Baznas Harmonises Poverty Alleviation Programmes with Presidential Staff Office

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Board of Zakat (Baznas) of the Republic of Indonesia, together with the Presidential Staff Office (KSP), is harmonising steps and programmes to support the acceleration of poverty alleviation in Indonesia.

Idy Muzayyad, the Head of Distribution, Utilisation, and Empowerment at Baznas RI, stated in Jakarta on Wednesday that there are 13 priority programmes for the 2026–2031 period designed to support poverty reduction efforts, which remain a primary focus of the government.

“There are 13 priority programmes for the Baznas period from 2026 to 2031, and essentially all of them are directed towards poverty alleviation,” he said.

Idy mentioned that the implementation of all these programmes is structured to align with national development targets outlined in the ‘Asta Cita’, specifically the poverty alleviation agenda.

“We are ready to distribute funds in accordance with the government’s programmes and Asta Cita, as we also collaborate with Bappenas, particularly regarding poverty alleviation,” he continued.

In addition to strengthening programme synergy, Baznas is also pushing for the accelerated issuance of a Presidential Regulation (Perpres) regarding zakat for Civil Servants (ASN) and State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN).

This regulation is expected to optimise national zakat collection, which has currently only realised approximately 10 per cent of its total potential.

Through the strengthening of this regulation, Baznas projects that zakat collection from the ASN and BUMN sectors could reach approximately Rp18 trillion per year. These funds are believed to expand the reach of empowerment programmes and increase Baznas’s capacity to assist the poor.

“Imagine if we are able to collect Rp18 trillion per year, how many people could be helped? How many of our nation’s problems could we resolve? This is a real potential right in front of us,” said Idy Muzayyad.

Meanwhile, Erni Juliana, a Senior Expert at the Deputy II of the Presidential Staff Office (KSP), explained that the audience aimed to align zakat management programmes with various presidential priority programmes, including the eradication of extreme poverty, the handling of stunting, and the strengthening of the Sharia economic and financial sectors.

She noted that the Government is also encouraging the strengthening of the Sharia economic ecosystem, alongside plans to transform the National Committee for Islamic Economy and Finance (KNEKS) into the Sharia Economic Agency.