The Ministry Of Religion Calls The Decreased Poverty Rate So An Indicator Of Zakat Success

Secretary of the Directorate General of Islamic Community Guidance of the Ministry of Religion Muhammad Adib (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Secretary of the Directorate General of Islamic Community Guidance, Ministry of Religion Muhammad Adib stated that the decline in poverty was an indicator of the success of zakat.

"The indicator of the success of zakat is to return to its main goal, namely to alleviate poverty. So the question for all amil zakat, how many mustahics (recipients) have been successfully freed from poverty?" Adib said as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, February 22.

Adib said zakat, infaq and alms funds have enormous potential. If these funds are managed and distributed properly, accountably, and on target, they will be able to improve welfare and benefit for the community.

According to him, good and targeted social fund management must involve many elements. Synergy and collaboration with a number of related parties are important.

"(Social fund management) Must involve many parties. Only in that way a program will work," he said.

In line with Adib, Chairman of Baznas RI Saidah Sakwan said collaboration between institutions related to the management and distribution of relevant zakat funds is currently being carried out. The collaboration, according to him, can produce outputs that benefit all parties.

"Today's era is not the era of competition, but the era of collaboration. The output is a win-win, not a win-lost. So, this forum (Rakor Zakat) is very strategic," he said.

According to Saidah, the consolidation of the zakat movement is a necessity. All related parties, he said, must open up space inclusively to collaborate on poverty alleviation.

Saidah targets zakat funds to accelerate the position of Mustahik (recipients) to become Muzaki (beneficiaries). The step to achieve this is to use a target intervention strategy through collaboration with a number of LAZIS.

"We believe that zakat funds must be able to create new Muzaki, not to maintain Mustahik. The strategy we are doing is a target intervention strategy by inviting other LAZIS-LAZIS," he said.