NEWS

2021.06.03

The 31th AJI Frontier Seminar on the “Digital Zakat Payment in Indonesia under the Pandemic: A Preliminary Discussion”

The thirty-first AJI Frontier Seminar was held online on May 21, 2021. Dr. Adachi Mari, a JSPS Research Fellow and a Project Researcher at Ritsumeikan University Kinugasa Research Organization presented her report entitled “Digital Zakat Payment in Indonesia under the Pandemic: A Preliminary Discussion”. Dr. Adachi shed light on the recent implementation of a new digital platform for zakat payment in Indonesia. Its usage has increased 72% in general under the COVID-19 pandemic situation.
Zakat is the mandatory form of charity that is considered as one of the five pillars of Islam beside the profession of faith, prayer, fasting, and pilgrimage. Dr. Adachi’s report focused mainly on the payment of zakat through the “GoPay” platform in Indonesia and concluded that even if it is being rapidly utilized in the donation field, it has not yet been systematized. In addition, her report showed the potential of online donations for social development and the ease of collaboration between different platforms.
After the presentation, feedback and questions from the attendees were addressed under a positive engaging atmosphere and included some constructive criticism, which enriched the subject and enlightened the presenter toward potential new horizons, especially regarding the research method and the platforms to examine.

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Dr. Adachi delivering her presentation.