Chairman of BAZNAS Prof. Dr. Bambang Sudibyo (third from left), accompanied by members of BAZNAS Irsyadul Halim (third from right), and Head of the Division of Collection BAZNAS Faisal Qosim (right), handed BAZNAS SK to the Finance Director of PT Semen Padang Tri Hartono Rianto (second from left), at Wisma Indarung complex PT Semen Padang, Padang, West Sumatra, on Wednesday (11/01/2017). Present Commissioner of PT Semen Padang Eddy R Rashid (left), and Chairman of BAZNAS West Sumatra Samsul Bahri

PADANG - (11/1) PT Semen Padang now officially has UPZ Badan Amil Zakat Nasional (BAZNAS). PT Semen Padang is public limited company (plc) was recorded as the first UPZ BAZNAS among subsidiaries of BUMN (Goverment Limited Company) under PT Semen Indonesia.

Chairman of BAZNAS Prof. Dr. Bambang Sudibyo said that UPZ BAZNAS-PT Semen Padang is the "uswatun hasanah" (a role model) for the state-owned corporation. This was announced by Chairman of Baznas after handing Decree (SK) UPZ BAZNAS-PT Semen Padang to the Finance Director of PT Semen Padang Tri Hartono Rianto, at Wisma Indarung Complex PT Semen Padang, Padang, West Sumatra, on Wednesday (11/1).

Attendees include a member of BAZNAS Irsyadul Halim, Head of BAZNAS Collection Division Faisal Qosim, Commissioner of PT Semen Padang Eddy R Rasyid and Chairman of BAZNAS West Sumatra Samsul Bahri. "Hopefully other companies in PT Semen Indonesia group can be ‘infected by this kindness virus’," he said in a written statement.

Bambang explained, in addition to PT Semen Padang, there are already SOE that has formed UPZ BAZNAS, namely PT Telkom. He hoped what Semen Padang has done can be replicated by its subsidiaries. "Because, President Jokowi believes, zakat become urgent part of national poverty alleviation program," said the former Minister of National Education.

BAZNAS, said Bambang, will report to President Jokowi that PT Semen Padang has been a good example as a private company under the state-owned enterprises that became UPZ BAZNAS.

He explained that the potential of the national zakat in 2015 reached Rp 268 trillion. "This could be a pillar of the society economy and the nation," he said. However, he warned, out of the five pillars of Islam, zakat is the most neglected one so far.

"Therefore, in the future, the massive dakwah and campaign are needed to make the wealth of Indonesian Muslims clean and blessed by paying zakat, so that it can make an impact on national economic equity and justice," he said.

Bambang said that the effort to optimize zakat is in accordance with government plan that targets the 2030 as the "zero" of poverty. "In this case, BAZNAS contribute so that every year the number of poor people in this country could be reduced by 1 percent," he explained.

On the occasion, Bambang invited PT Semen Padang to explore cooperation in the field of corporate social responsibility (CSR), to establish “Rumah Sehat BAZNAS” (RSB) in West Sumatra.

After the event in PT Semen Padang, Chairman BAZNAS attended the Coordination Meeting (Rakor) BAZNAS West Sumatra in Padang. On the next day, Thursday (12/1), Chairman Baznas and his entourage proceeded to Payakumbuh to visit Pesantren Al-Kautsar Muhammadiyah.

(Source: republika.co.id/amelya/puskasbaznas.com)