Vice President Ma'ruf: Choose A Prospective Candidate To Make Zakat Compulsible

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin delivered a statement accompanied by Deputy Minister of Religion Zainut Tauhid Sa'adi (right)/ANTARA

JAKARTA - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin suggested choosing candidates for legislative members (candidates) who make giving zakat mandatory. "That's why the election is a critical point, 'Sampeyan wants to be elected must zakat is mandatory', as well as halal certification as mandatory or mandatory as all ASN (obligatory to give zakat)," said Vice President Ma'ruf Amin in Surakarta, Central Java, Antara, Monday, November 21. This was conveyed by Ma'ruf at the Gathering of Vice President Ma'ruf Amin with the leadership and management of BAZNAS throughout Central Java which was also attended by Deputy Minister of Religion Zainut Tauhid Sa'adi, Chairman of BAZNAS Noor Achmad, Chairman of BAZNAS Central Java Ahmad Darodji and other BAZNAS members. The collection of Zakat, Infaq and Sedecah (ZIS) as well as other religious social funds (DSKL) by BAZNAS at the central level throughout 2021 increased 33 percent compared to 2020, which amounted to Rp513.2 billion. The increase included Rp136.99 billion obtained from Baznas.go.id. In 2021, BAZNAS posted a distribution ratio of 82 percent while the remaining 18 percent will be distributed in January 2022. In 2022 BAZNAS has a target of collecting 26 trillion with a BAZNAS target at the central level of IDR 760 billion. "So the approach that has been used is still volatile. This means that volunteerism has not yet entered the mandatory area, so it has not forced us because there is no such regulation, this is what must be fought for, and those who can understand it are members of the DPR," said Ma'ruf. Ma'ruf considered that the DPR also needed to regulate the obligation to give zakat through the law. "Such as the issue of halal certification, it used to be also voluntary, but now with Law 33 halal certificates that are mandatory, it is mandatory for products circulating in Indonesia to be halal certified both domestic and foreign products, that's a long process but in the end it can be understood. Now the zakat that is being fought for is not the president's decree, the presidential decree, not the presidential decree, but the law in the DPR," explained the Vice President. During the event, a number of BAZNAS administrators also proposed that the creation of an endowment fund for BAZNAS, but Ma'ruf said this must be supported by a fatwa from the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI). "But according to our rules, if you do something, you have to be 'backed up' by the fatwa, I recommend to the central BAZNAS asking for a fatwa to the MUI, if there is a fatwa, then it will be carried out, because zakat is the right of people who have the right to be distributed, their rights," said the Vice President. Ma'ruf also positively welcomed the proposal that BAZNAS be an institution that deals with poverty and stunting. "The central and regional BAZNAS needs to be encouraged and the target from year to year must increase even though regulatoryly it still does not get support in the form of'mandatory' or mandatory, so now its beating must be a bit heavy because it has not been supported by strong regulations but with strong education, God willing, it will get even better results," said the Vice President.