Indonesia Empowered: Strengthening Synergy between BAZNAS and LAZ with Government in Poverty Alleviation
Jakarta — The national collaborative movement Indonesia Berdaya has reiterated its commitment to supporting efforts to alleviate extreme poverty in Indonesia through synergy among the Zakat Forum (FOZ), the National Zakat Management Body (BAZNAS), philanthropic institutions, and the government. This commitment was demonstrated at an event held on Thursday, 12 March 2026 at Jakarta International Velodrome, bringing together various stakeholders from government, zakat institutions, and national figures.
Forum Zakat Chairman Wildhan Dewayana stated that Indonesia Berdaya is a collaborative platform that brings together various parties to jointly address the challenge of extreme poverty, which cannot be resolved by any single entity alone.
According to him, Indonesia’s estimated zakat potential of Rp327 trillion has only been realised at approximately Rp44 trillion, or about 13 per cent. This demonstrates the substantial opportunities that can be optimised through collaboration between zakat institutions, philanthropic organisations, and the government to broaden the impact of these resources on society.
“Indonesia Berdaya serves as a shared space that unites the strength of government, zakat institutions, and philanthropy to work together in addressing poverty,” said Wildhan.
He also noted that through the Indonesia Berdaya programme series, assistance worth Rp437 billion has been distributed, reaching 117 extreme poverty zones with approximately 3 million beneficiaries from among the poor and destitute.
As part of implementing this movement, various social programmes are being carried out in priority regions. One such initiative is the Selasar Hangat programme, which forms part of the Indonesia Berdaya programme series aimed at expanding assistance distribution to the poor and destitute.
This programme is being implemented simultaneously across eight provinces with the highest poverty rates: East Java, West Java, Central Java, North Sumatra, East Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi, Lampung, and Banten. Additionally, assistance extends to disaster-affected areas in the Sumatran region, including Aceh and West Sumatra.
At the same event, newly elected National Zakat Management Body Chairman Sodik Mudjahid emphasised that in Islamic teaching, poverty alleviation is a shared responsibility of the Muslim community. According to him, collaboration between zakat institutions and the government is key to ensuring that zakat management can have broader impact on society.
Meanwhile, Vice Chairman of the People’s Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia, Rusdi Kirana, stated that Indonesia, as a pluralistic nation, possesses great strength in its values of tolerance and togetherness. He noted that the spirit of mutual respect forms an important foundation in strengthening social cooperation to address various national issues, including poverty.
Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment, Muhaimin Iskandar, also emphasised the importance of strengthening synergy and data-based collaboration so that poverty alleviation programmes can be more precisely targeted.
“Ramadan is a moment full of blessings to strengthen synergy. We must ensure that zakat, infak, and sedekah programmes do not end in Ramadan alone, but continue to encourage the community to rise, become self-reliant, and empowered,” he said.
Through the Indonesia Berdaya movement, collaboration among FOZ, BAZNAS, philanthropic institutions, and the government is expected to continue sustainably, thereby expanding the reach of benefits and accelerating the realisation of a more empowered and prosperous Indonesian society.