DPR Appreciates Baznas' Role in Poverty Alleviation Through Zakat Management
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Vice Chairman of Commission VIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), Abidin Fikri, has expressed appreciation for the National Zakat Agency (Baznas) RI for managing and distributing zakat effectively, providing tangible benefits to the community and supporting poverty alleviation in Indonesia.
“The DPR observes that Baznas’s work so far has been extraordinary in terms of distributing zakat from the Muslim community. It is truly gratifying that such distribution is well-targeted and provides significant help to the people,” Abidin stated in a briefing in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Abidin noted that various programmes implemented by Baznas have provided real benefits to the public. These include educational scholarships, disaster management, the renovation of uninhabitable houses, and healthcare initiatives.
“We hope that with the upcoming revision of the law, Baznas will gain more robust authority, supported by excellent management. This will allow Baznas to work more optimally throughout Indonesia,” he said.
As the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, Indonesia possesses great potential to utilise zakat as an instrument for strengthening the community’s economy and alleviating poverty, Abidin continued. Therefore, he invited all elements of society to work together in supporting the optimisation of zakat management in Indonesia.
“Zakat is an inseparable part of Muslim life. We must strengthen one another, and since Indonesia is the Republic of Indonesia, these efforts must be supported by adequate regulation,” he added.
He suggested that if regulations provide stronger authority to the institution through frameworks created by the government and the DPR, it would maximise Baznas’s role in eradicating poverty in Indonesia.
Responding to this, the Chairman of Baznas RI, Sodik Mudjahid, stated that following a Hearing with the DPR RI on Monday (22/6), Baznas RI will continue to conduct evaluations and improvements to ensure that zakat management becomes more effective and efficient in the future.
He expressed his appreciation to Commission VIII of the DPR RI for the support provided thus far.
According to him, such support is vital to ensure that Baznas’s priority programmes run optimally and remain aligned with the President’s priority programmes.
“The core lies in the eight strategic programmes and 13 priority programmes. All of this will be realised if we receive support and oversight, particularly from the DPR RI,” said Sodik Mudjahid.