The Ministry of Religious Affairs has said that an increase in zakat (alms) collection, which is managed by the National Alms Agency (Baznas), in 2021 was the result of the utilization of digital technology.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in zakat transactions via digital (channels), thereby increasing the number of muzakki (zakat givers),” director of zakat and waqf empowerment at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Tarmizi Tohor, said in a written statement received here on Tuesday.
Earlier, Baznas had reported that zakat collection increased to Rp516 billion in 2021 from Rp385.2 billion in 2020.
Meanwhile, the collection of zakat, infaq (disbursements), and sedekah (simple alms) reached Rp11.5 trillion, it added. Baznas said 82 percent of the total was distributed in 2021 while the rest will be distributed in early 2022.
Tohor said that the increase in zakat transactions via digital platforms happened because more information on zakat was provided across social media. The use of digital technology was able to boost the younger generation’s participation in zakat, he added.
“In Baznas and National Alms Agency (LAZ), there was an increase in donations of up to 30–35 percent through (the use of) crowdfunding, e-commerce, and digital wallets,” he revealed.
The increase in zakat transactions reflects the generosity of Indonesians in helping one another in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.
“It (the pandemic) has become a chance for people to show their concern,” he added.
Earlier, Baznas head Noor Achmad had said that his agency is targeting to collect Rp26 trillion in zakat, infaq, sedekah (ZIS), and other religious social funds in 2022.
“For 2022, nationally, Baznas has a target of Rp26 trillion,” the Baznas head stated.
Source: Antara News