Jakarta, March 18 -- The Ministry of Religious Affairs is aiming to increase the collection of zakat (Islamic alms) by 10 percent in 2025, with zakat potential projected to cross Rp327 trillion (around US$19.8 billion) per year.

"Currently, the total collected alms have reached Rp42 trillion, but the figure is still far from the maximum potential," the ministry's director general of Islamic community guidance, Abu Rokhmad, said in Jakarta on Tuesday.

He underlined that zakat collection must be pursued jointly to bolster its contribution to the alleviation of poverty and the improvement of people's welfare.

According to Rokhmad, zakat optimization will not only focus on the amount of alms collected but also the effectiveness of its dist...