Ministry Of Religion: Central Aceh Is An Example Of Productive Waqf Management

JAKARTA - The Regional Office of the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) Aceh said that Central Aceh Regency can be used as an example of managing productive waqf for other districts/cities in the province nicknamed the "Land of Rencong".

"Central Aceh can be used as an example of productive waqf management so that it deserves to be named a waqf city," said Head of the Aceh Regional Office of the Ministry of Religion Azhari in a statement in Banda Aceh, Saturday.

He said this during the inauguration of Central Aceh as a Waqf City with the Director of Zakat and Waqf Empowerment (Ditzawa) of the Directorate General of Islamic Community Guidance of the Indonesian Ministry of Religion Waryono at the BaitulQuddus Mosque, Central Aceh.

He hopes that productive waqf can also be developed in other regions in the province, especially since there are many types of productive waqf that can be developed in their respective regions.

"In the city it is impossible to grow rice, but you can build shops, build supermarkets and so on whose benefits are greater than rice," he said.

Central Aceh is the only Waqf City in Aceh from the first six waqf cities in Indonesia. Apart from Central Aceh, five other cities designated as waqf cities in Indonesia are Siak Regency, Padang City, Gunungkidul Regency, Wajo Regency, and Tasikmalaya City.

Azhari explained that Central Aceh is the only waqf city in Aceh. This, of course, must be a spirit for other districts/cities in managing waqf.

"This year there is Central Aceh as a waqf city, the following year there will be other cities in Aceh that will become waqf cities by looking at the spirit of Central Aceh," he said.

Central Aceh managed to build seven kiosks from productive waqf incubation assistance from the Indonesian Ministry of Religion in Mendale and productive waqf homestays. Previously, the Central Aceh Ministry of Religion had also launched the Ihmal Market and Waqf Jitu (Jangka Wakaf) waqf tree coffee program.

The Aceh Ministry of Religion is currently focusing on optimizing the use of abandoned waqf land. For this reason, he also asked every ASN of the Aceh Ministry of Religion to plant a tree in each waqf land.

"There are many vacant waqf lands, to fill the vacancy of this waqf land, we invite every ASN to plant one tree," he said.

Of course, he said, planting trees on waqf land must be adjusted to the waqf pledge from waqf or pewaqf itself.

He targets every district/city in Aceh to plant at least 2,000 tree trunks on the waqf land.

"The Ministry of Religion planted the vacant land according to the waqf pledge, and after planting it it became the task of nazir or waqf manager to guard it," he said.

The empty tree planting program in the vacant waqf land will provide great benefits for the people in the future.

Of the 23 regencies/cities in Aceh, several Ministry of Religion offices have run this program, such as in Aceh Singkil which has planted 1,100 palm oil stems on waqf land in Gampong Sebatang.

"Then in Central Aceh, 2,000 coffee stalks have been planted in Kala Wih Ilang and Bireuen in the form of planting 2,000 such as palm oil, mangoes, and coconut," he said.