Surakarta Baznas Estimates ASN Zakat Potential To Reach IDR 400 Million Per Month

Deputy Chairman I for the Collection of the Surakarta City Baznas Office Maulud Munif (left) while giving a statement to journalists (Aris Wasita/Antara)

JAKARTA - The Surakarta City Baznas Office estimates that the zakat potential of the state civil servants (ASN) will reach IDR 400 million/month following a circular from the Surakarta City Government asking ASN to carry out these obligations.

"In accordance with the SE Mayor of Surakarta No. 451.12/072 concerning Optimization of Zakat Levies, Infaq, and alms, for employees whose income reaches 'nishob' are obliged to pay zakat," said Deputy Chairman I for the collection of the Surakarta City Baznas Office Maulud Munif, reported by Antara, Wednesday, April 28.

He said that in accordance with Islamic teachings, zakat deductions equal 2.5 percent of income. In fact, in Solo, the Municipal Government of Surakarta has appealed to ASN to pay zakat, but it is not obligatory.

According to him, if it matches the number of ASNs in the Surakarta City Government, there are around 5,000 ASNs. However, he said, not all of them are obliged to do zakat.

"Hopefully, the mayor of Surakarta paying zakat to Baznas can spur people to do the same thing," he said.

Meanwhile, he said, the directive for ASN to pay zakat, infaq, and shodaqoh has started since 2017 so that until now the allocation is quite broad.

His party recorded in 2017, that the zakat, infaq, and shodaqoh collection amounting to Rp1,013 billion, with the distribution reaching Rp813,033 million, then in 2018 the collection amounted to Rp1,6 billion with a distribution of Rp1,5 billion.

Whereas in 2019 the collection reached Rp1,36 billion and the disbursement was Rp1,456 billion, and in 2020 the collection reached Rp1,773 billion, and the distribution In the amount of Rp1,733 billion.

On the same occasion, Deputy Chair III of the Financial Planning and Reporting Section of the Surakarta City Baznas Office, Endang Suryana, said that the government has launched the Love Zakat Movement.

"Even the President has shown the example (of paying zakat) on last April 15," he said.