Member of the Advisory Board of Nahdlatul Ulama Jusuf Kalla has called on businesspeople to pay zakat fitrah alms, saying that sharing their wealth with the less fortunate is a way to help develop the country, The Jakarta Post reported.
“In addition to fasting, there is also the act of zakat. Businesspeople must remember to give zakat during the holy month of Ramadhan in order to bring hope for the future,” he said at a breaking-of-the-fast event with the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) on Wednesday evening.
“Only businesspeople can give enough zakat to create jobs for the people and to build this country.”
The vice president also vowed that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s administration would continue supporting businesspeople as many of those in the Cabinet had business backgrounds.
"The president is a businessman; his deputy is also a businessman and many of his ministers are businesspeople,” Kalla said. "So, if the government issues pro-business policies, it’s because we know how it feels and how important it is to create policies that will encourage more [business] activities and create more jobs." (Masdar)