Foundation to collect alms from private sector

Foundation to collect alms from private sector

JAKARTA (JP): If all goes well, a private charity foundation
chaired by President Soeharto will soon be collecting alms from
workers in the private sector which will be deducted from their
monthly pay packets, it was announced yesterday.

Minister of Social Services Endang Kusuma Inten Suweno
disclosed the plan yesterday as part of the National Alms
Movement which will be launched next month.

Inten yesterday met with Soeharto, in his capacity as chairman
of the Yayasan Amal Bhakti Muslim Pancasila, a private foundation
heavily involved in various charitable activities.

The foundation already collects alms from Moslem members of
the Civil Service and the Armed Forces.

Inten said Soeharto yesterday proposed that employees set
aside a small amount of their salaries for alms channeled through
the foundation as part of the national alms movement.

Those with monthly earnings of up to Rp 200,000 are asked to
contribute Rp 200 each month. Those earning between Rp 200,000
and Rp 500,000 will be asked to set aside Rp 1,000 and those
earning more than Rp 500,000 will be asked to contribute Rp
2,000, Inten said.

The managements of private companies will be asked to deduct
the alms contribution from the pay packets of their workers and
send the money to the foundation each month, she said.

"This is not coercion, it is an appeal from the Chairman of
Yayasan Amal Bhakti Muslim Pancasila," Inten said.

Specifically, the money will be used to improve the welfare of
poor people, scholarships for those who need them and to raise
the standard of those still living below the poverty line, she
said.

Inten was accompanied at the press briefing by former minister
Bustanil Arifin who heads the national committee for the
celebration of National Solidarity Day, and noted businessman
Sudwikatmono.

Inten said Bustanil will explain the detail of the alms
collection to the public in the near future. President Soeharto
had discussed the planned campaign with a number of business
leaders and they supported it, she added.

The plan is already working well with the civil service and
Armed Forces. Non-Moslem civil servants and Armed Forces members
are also giving alms but through Yayasan Dharmais, another
charity foundation chaired by Soeharto.

Inten said the committee for National Social Solidarity Day
last year raised Rp 12.5 billion ($5.9 million) from the business
community.

Rp 8.5 billion of the funds has been used to finance the
construction of three low-cost apartment buildings. The
apartments are scheduled for completion in March, she said.

The other four billion rupiah has been spent constructing
houses in former slum areas of the five regions in Jakarta, she
said, adding that the houses would be inaugurated on the National
Social Solidarity Day on Dec. 20.

However, the peak of Social Solidarity Day will be held in
Ambon on Dec. 17 when President Soeharto gives awards to 22
social workers for their dedication. On the same day Soeharto
will also launch National Green Week, Inten said.

The Indonesian Ulema Council yesterday joined in the official
campaign to encourage Moslems to pay their taxes to the
government.

The council's chairman, Hasan Basri said that as Indonesian
citizens, Indonesian Moslems are obliged to pay their taxes to
the government in addition to paying zakat, the obligatory Moslem
tax and alms.

"Paying taxes to the state is the obligation of every citizen
to ensure the government's development program," Hasan said
during a meeting between tax officials and members of all the
council's chapters in Kalimantan on Monday, Antara reported.

Hasan said the ulemas have a duty to help tax officials inform
members of the public of their tax obligations to the state.

The campaign was launched as the tax office prepares to close
its books on Dec. 31 for 1994 land and property taxes. (sim/emb)