City collects Rp 6.7b in alms for the poor

JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of poor Moslems in the city will benefit from Rp 6.7 billion (US$3 million) the city administration has collected from philanthropists over the past year.

Governor Surjadi Soedirdja symbolically transferred the money to the beneficiaries on Tuesday in a ceremony attended by senior officials and representatives from BAZIS, the board which oversees the alms collection.

The sum collected this year is 55 percent higher than that raised last year, which was Rp 4.3 billion.

The governor said that although the alms rose by more than half, he was still "unhappy" because the sum could be a lot higher if more rich Moslems had contributed to the social mission.

"This contribution is small in view of the huge number of rich Moslems in the City," he said. He added that Moslems comprise 86 percent, or 7.5 million, of the city's population.

Judging from their strengthening economic capability, the city's Moslems could have doubled their contribution this year, he said.

The governor urged the board's executives to optimize their activities by making them social and better managing the money raised.

The board's chairman, H.M. Amien, said 50 percent of the fund will be used to help the poor, 45 percent will be set aside for propagation activities and the remaining five percent for other religious activities.

Amien said helping educate the poor will be a top priority. Up to Rp 844 million of the Rp 7.6 billion already raised this year is earmarked for scholarships for 950 high school students, 650 undergraduate students and 20 postgraduate students. Rp 1.1 billion is for 16,000 foster children, Rp 37.5 million for religious teachers and Rp 465 million for business capital for the poor.

The remaining funds will be used for other social activities in line with its main purpose, including land appropriation for building dormitories for poor students, Amien said. (32)