TEMPO.CO, Jakarta-The Religious Affairs Ministry appointed Bank Muamalat Indonesia through its affiliation Baitulmaal Muamalat (BMM) as the National Zakat Collector Agency (Laznas) set forth in Decision Letter No. 256/2016.
“Bank Muamalat and BMM hope that the distributed funds can benefit the receivers,” Bank Muamalat president director Endy Abdurrahman said in a press release on Thursday, June 30, 2016.
Therefore, the BMM has passed the evaluation to become a part of the Zakat Collector Agency (LAZ), under Law No. 23/2011 on the zakat management. The bill requires LAZ members to make adjustment within five years since the law was promulgated.
Endy added that Bank Muamalat has distributed assistance fund to 4,500 orphans across Indonesia, which amounts to Rp1.35 billion (US$100,000) worth of zakat collected by BMM.
The fund is distributed through a number of programs, namely community empowerment program Orphan Kafala that provided scholarships for orphans in Aceh Pidie and North Aceh. In addition, the Islamic Solidarity School (ISS) program was crafted to provide integrated education facilities for orphans of tsunami disaster victims in Aceh.
The fund is also distributed through the B-Smart program that provides scholarships for accomplished students, and the Fi Sabilillah program that provides scholarships for orphans finishing their undergraduate studies.
GHOIDA RAHMAH