Moslems' special fund worth Rp 300 billion

Moslems' special fund worth Rp 300 billion

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher said
yesterday the special fund for Moslems at Bank Indonesia was
worth Rp 300 billion (approximately US$125 million) and would
increase to Rp 1.3 trillion by 2019.

"The assets are derived from five years of smart saving by
Bank Indonesia (the central bank)," Tarmizi was quoted by Antara
as saying in Surabaya.

"Since 1992, the Ministry of Religious Affairs has received
credits allocated for organizing the pilgrimage to Mecca from
Bank Indonesia," the minister told about 400 ulemas, public
figures and top officials in East Java.

"The credits are managed by a board which organizes expenses
for pilgrimages to Mecca, known as BP-ONH," he said.

Tarmizi said the fund differed from the fund for haj fees,
which would-be pilgrims had to pay to appointed banks. This year,
a would-be pilgrimage paid a total Rp7.5 million in fees.

"All haj fees are used to pay for the passage of pilgrims," he
said.

The minister then encouraged the ulemas, who manage Islamic
boarding schools in East Java, to apply for assistance from the
fund to improve infrastructure and other facilities at their
schools.

"Send in your letters of request for funds to BP-ONH by
enclosing a recommendation from the head of the regional
religious affairs office," he said.

"President Soeharto has ordered me to discuss the use of these
assets with leaders of Islamic organizations in Indonesia, so
that they can be managed transparently," he added.

The country has about 7,000 Islamic boarding schools
(pesantren).

Tarmizi said the assets could also fund Islamic education. The
fund manager's board is chaired by Tarmizi and its chief patron
is President Soeharto, who heads the Amal Bhakti Muslim Pancasila
Foundation for Moslem charity.

Tarmizi told the meeting, which was held to discuss recent
unrest, that the country could not increase its annual quota of
haj pilgrims from 200,000.

"That's Saudi Arabia's policy, which was decided by its
ulemas, and it must be adhered to," he said.

He said Indonesia had among the largest number of pilgrims.
"Don't ask for an increased quota," he said. (swe)