Jambi Provincial Government Issues Rule Of Zakat For ASN, Mandatory And Deducted From Salaries

JAKARTA - The Jambi Provincial Government issued a gubernatorial regulation (pergub) related to the payment of zakat through the National Amil Zakat Agency (Baznas) for state civil servants (ASN) in the local provincial government.

"The potential for collecting funds from the Jambi Province Baznas has not been fully realized. To accelerate the added value for Baznas, there needs to be a governor's regulation that regulates all ASNs who are obliged to issue zakat," said Jambi Governor Al Haris in Jambi, reported by Antara, Friday, October 15.

In collecting zakat for ASN, he said, a statement will be made, represented by the regional secretary (Sekda) together with the head of OPD, that ASN is willing to have their salaries cut by the treasurer for zakat and infaq.

Al Haris said that the local provincial government did not have sufficient funds to help all elements of society, let alone many complaints related to school dropouts, sick people, and disaster victims.

To assist the needs of the community, the government utilizes corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds from companies and funds from Baznas.

According to Al Haris, the program created by Baznas has a clear enough purpose, namely to help the people. There are mandatory programs to help mosques, Islamic boarding schools, business capital for the poor, scholarships for the poor, and assistance for out-of-school children.

Therefore, Al Haris urges all local government employees to distribute their personal zakat through Baznas.

In addition, his party also invited banks and companies that carry out activities in Jambi Province to participate in fulfilling the obligation to carry out zakat and infaq in this province.

"In the future, we ask that all banks and companies here are obliged to donate and give alms in Jambi because working in this province and receiving salaries in this area must be deducted from infaq," said Al Haris.

Meanwhile, the graph of zakat and infaq collection of Baznas Jambi has increased, although not significantly. This is because there is a vacancy in the governor's position so that there is no power to encourage ASN to pay zakat and infaq through Baznas.

In 2020, Baznas collects zakat and infaq of Rp2.3 billion. In 2021, it is estimated that the infaq and zakat funds collected by Baznas will reach Rp3.3 billion.

This amount is not comparable to the number of ASN in Jambi Province which reaches 11,200 people, while zakat and infaq collected are still relatively small.

Of the 11,200 ASN in the Jambi Provincial Government, said Head of the Jambi Province Baznas Hasan Basri, only 3,000 ASN distributed zakat and infaq through Baznas. Thus, there is still a large potential for zakat and infaq that can be collected if all ASN distributes zakat and infaq through Baznas.

Hasan Basri gave an example of Merangin Regency with the number of ASN distributing zakat and infaq through Baznas as many as 5,000 people and collecting zakat and infaq funds of Rp7 billion to Rp8 billion.

"If all ASN in the Jambi Provincial Government channel their zakat and infaq funds through Baznas, the funds collected will be even greater," he said.