Chairman of National Agency for Alms from Muslims (BAZNAS) who is also professor of Faculty of Economics and Business Universitas Gadjah Mada (FEB UGM), Prof. Bambang Sudibyo, said Baznas would optimize alms collections from all ministries, government agencies, regional governments, private companies, and Muslim people. So far, Baznas and Lazis organizations have collected up to Rp3.4 trillions. The actual potential that can be collected in Indonesia is estimated to be as high as Rp217 trillions, from Muslim households Rp82 trillions and private companies Rp114.89 trillions.

"We have established cooperation with the Bank of Indonesia, Financial Service Authorities, and all financial institutions to encourage the increase in alms collections," said Bambang Sudibyo in an international seminar titled Islamic Accounting for Social Welfare on Thursday (12/11) in UC UGM.

Bambang added management and distribution system could be made the supporting tools for fiscal policy to reduce poverty rate and to suppress social gap. These goals, however, could be met instead if alms administrators prioritize on moral ethics and uphold laws whilst being supported by qualified human resource.

He mentioned that Indonesian poverty rate based on data from BPS 2011 accounted for 31 millions with only 2.8 millions of people (9.03 percents) receiving alms. The remainders have not received them due to limited funds. Bambang said if his agency was able to collect funds as much as Rp24.02 trillions, the money could be well distributed to the poor.

Reportedly, comparation of alms to the GDP in Indonesia is as low as 0.89 percent, lower than that in Malaysia (1.09%), Iran (1.79%), and Egypt (1.95%).

Source: ugm.ac.id

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