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January 17, 2025 | 02:10 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Member of Commission IX of the House of Representatives (DPR) Irma Suryani proposed that the government use funds from cigarette excise to cover the budget shortfall of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program. Irma made this proposal as an alternative to using zakat funds for MBG. Zakat is a mandatory donation of part of a Muslim’s wealth to charity. Irma stated that she disagreed with the use of zakat for MBG.
According to this NasDem Party politician, the allocation of zakat funds has been regulated. "Zakat is a function for the benefit of the people, so just function for that. Assistance to the poor," said Irma in a written statement on Thursday, January 16, 2025.
She then proposed that the costs for MBG be taken from other sources, one of which is using cigarette excise funds. "For MBG, I suggest taking it from cigarette excise. It's done. Cigarette excise per year is Rp150 trillion," Irma said.
On the other hand, another member of Commission IX, Edy Wuryanto, welcomed the idea of using zakat to fund MBG. The Chairman of the Faction Group (Kapoksi) from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) believes that people's desire to contribute to improving human resources should not be limited.
"It's okay. Why not?" said Edy in Melawai, South Jakarta, on Wednesday, January 15, 2025.
Edy said that Commission IX would encourage the funding scheme for the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG) in various regions for the MBG program using various sources of funds. Some sources of funds in question are the state revenue and expenditure budget (APBN), the state revenue and expenditure budget (APBD), and the Village Fund.
He said that Commission IX also suggested funding from state-owned enterprises (BUMN) through their respective Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs. "Zakat is allowed," Edy added.
For fund accountability, Edy said that later Finance Minister Sri Mulyani could regulate the technicalities. According to him, it is only an administrative matter. "But the noble intention of people to contribute to improving the quality of human resources should not be limited," he said.
The idea of funding MBG with zakat came from the Chairman of the Regional Representative Council (DPD) RI Sultan Najamuddin. He proposed that the government look for alternative financing for the MBG program through the zakat, infaq and sadaqah (ZIS) scheme, because the state budget still does not cover the total funds needed for the program.
Sultan said that ZIS funds have the potential to meet half of the MBG program's budget needs. So with the limited government budget for financing the MBG program, participation and financial support from the community is a way that needs to be seriously studied by the National Amil Zakat Agency (BAZNAS).
"We encourage BAZNAS or NU and Muhammadiyah zakat institutions to study and prepare a scheme for financing the MBG program through zakat to be submitted to the government," Sultan said in a written reply to Tempo, Thursday, January 16, 2025.
The idea arose amid the obstacles faced by the MBG program, namely lack of funds. Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan or Zulhas had previously mentioned that the MBG program budget of Rp 71 trillion currently available is only sufficient until June 2025. In fact, these funds have not been able to cover all school children in Indonesia.
"Now Rp 71 trillion is enough until June. If next year we want everything from January, then we need a budget of Rp 420 trillion," said the National Mandate Party (PAN) Chairman on Tuesday, January 7, 2025.
The head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana himself, focused on maximizing Rp 71 trillion from the APBN or regional support through the APBD instead of relying on zakat from the community.
"BGN focuses on the Rp71 trillion state budget first," Dadan said via text message, responding to the proposal for zakat funds for the MBG Program, in Jakarta, Wednesday, January 15, 2025.
Vedro Imanuel G and Karunia Putri contributed to the writing of this article.
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