Could Zakat Join with Taxes?
Could Zakat Join with Taxes?
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JAKARTA - The role of zakat is considered strategic in the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in various parts of the world, including in Indonesia. Unfortunately, the awareness to pay zakat is still low.
"In Islam, zakat is only 2.5 percent, but it is still difficult to realize its implementation, whereas in other religions 10 percent. Even in some European countries, there are citizens who are reluctant to mention his religion. They hard to pay zakat obligations in his religion because it is burdened with high taxes in his country," said member of National Amil Zakat Agency (Baznas), KH Masdar Farid Masudi at 18th Philanthropy Learning Forum with theme Formulating Fiqh Zakat on SDGs Jakarta, recently.
Of the 17 points of the SDGs, the zakat movement focuses on 11 issues of poverty eradication, hunger elimination, health quality improvement, decent educational provision, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, energy, economic growth, reducing gaps, climate change and partnerships .
Masdar continued, zakat became the most abandoned pillars of Islam in Indonesia. This is seen from the potential of zakat Rp217 trillion a year, but only collected about Rp 6 trillion. Amil zalcat at various levels of the region also already exist, but the number of zalcat-raising is still very low.
"If the doctrine is observed, it can not be awaited or accepted, but it must be picked up or taken away, so long as the fact is the zakat is received. Baznas, who has a decree from the state, can not force it," he said.
He mentioned, the discourse of zakat payment combined with tax can be discussed again.
"There will be MoU with Directorate General of Taxation," he said.
Masdar asserted that one of the urgent matters now is how to improve the position of amil zakat in order to come actively begging instead of waiting.
"Whether it can be solved by law or the presidential decree, the amil institution must come actively picking up, its position is now just waiting, it needs state authority, it is necessary that there is a law that the zakat can be collected, not just wait," he said.
"In Islam, zakat is only 2.5 percent, but it is still difficult to realize its implementation, whereas in other religions 10 percent. Even in some European countries, there are citizens who are reluctant to mention his religion. They hard to pay zakat obligations in his religion because it is burdened with high taxes in his country," said member of National Amil Zakat Agency (Baznas), KH Masdar Farid Masudi at 18th Philanthropy Learning Forum with theme Formulating Fiqh Zakat on SDGs Jakarta, recently.
Of the 17 points of the SDGs, the zakat movement focuses on 11 issues of poverty eradication, hunger elimination, health quality improvement, decent educational provision, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, energy, economic growth, reducing gaps, climate change and partnerships .
Masdar continued, zakat became the most abandoned pillars of Islam in Indonesia. This is seen from the potential of zakat Rp217 trillion a year, but only collected about Rp 6 trillion. Amil zalcat at various levels of the region also already exist, but the number of zalcat-raising is still very low.
"If the doctrine is observed, it can not be awaited or accepted, but it must be picked up or taken away, so long as the fact is the zakat is received. Baznas, who has a decree from the state, can not force it," he said.
He mentioned, the discourse of zakat payment combined with tax can be discussed again.
"There will be MoU with Directorate General of Taxation," he said.
Masdar asserted that one of the urgent matters now is how to improve the position of amil zakat in order to come actively begging instead of waiting.
"Whether it can be solved by law or the presidential decree, the amil institution must come actively picking up, its position is now just waiting, it needs state authority, it is necessary that there is a law that the zakat can be collected, not just wait," he said.
(rnz)
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