Waqf as a New Habit, Jawa Pos opinion

PANDEMIC Covid-19, which has become a scourge throughout the world, has had a serious impact on many people. The phenomenon that was originally a public health crisis has turned into a multidimensional crisis, one of which is in the economic field. In Indonesia, this economic impact is already being felt. According to records from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), Indonesia's economy in the first quarter of 2020 only grew 2,97 percent. This clearly shows an economic slowdown as restrictions on community activities have started, such as the recommendation to work from home to PSBB, since the announcement of the first case of Covid-19 in Indonesia on March 2.

This is in line with the prediction from the IMF International Monetary Fund that the Indonesian economy will only grow by around 0,5 percent in 2020, but could rise to around 8 percent in 2021 as the economic recovery continues. So, it is not surprising that the government recently pushed for a discourse called the new normal or another language as a new norm. This discourse means that community activities, especially economic activities, are expected to return to normal, but with due observance of various health protocols to prevent the transmission of Covid-19, for which an antidote vaccine has not yet been found. Attention to this health protocol is important considering that the positive cases of Covid-19 in Indonesia have penetrated 100.000 cases so that the opening of economic activity should not lead to new virus transmission clusters.

Apart from the controversy that accompanies the above discourse, economic activity needs to be carried out, of course, by adjusting to the Covid-19 conditions. Slowing economic activity has had a serious impact on both employers and workers. Especially for the working class, the impact of this pandemic is felt, especially for informal workers who depend on their daily income and employees who have been laid off due to disrupted business activities. If economic conditions are not improved, it is feared that there will be an explosion of unemployment which could worsen poverty and social inequality in Indonesia.

The new customary period will be marked by the promotion of a number of health protocol behaviors in public places, such as maintaining a minimum distance of 1 meter, using masks, checking body temperature, and habituation of hand washing behavior with soap or hand sanitizer. Of course, this cannot be separated from the current condition of the pandemic, which is very susceptible to transmission through the touch of hands that are not hygienic and enter through the respiratory tract. In other words, there are a number of things that need to be adapted by the wider community so that activities can continue to run normally so that economic recovery can be realized, but on the other hand, it is hoped that this pandemic will not spread.

However, considering that the Covid-19 disaster is not only a public health crisis, but also has a significant impact on the economy, it is also necessary to promote a "new norm" in the economy. This is due to the fact that in normal economic conditions, in which Indonesia's general economic growth in recent years has been at least 5 percent, there are still problems related to people's welfare, especially poverty and social inequality.

Based on the BPS release based on the national socio-economic survey (susenas) in September 2019, the number of poor people in Indonesia was recorded at 24,8 million people or around 9,22 percent of the total population. In addition, in the same period, the level of social inequality in Indonesia as measured by the Gini ratio stood at 0,382, indicating inequality at the middle level. In addition, in September 2018 BPS noted that the expenditure structure was dominated by the 20 percent of the highest income group, which contributed 45,56 percent of public consumption expenditure. Meanwhile, 40 percent of the middle class and 40 percent of the lowest group contributed 36,96 percent and 17,47 percent, respectively.

Therefore, future economic behavior is not enough to just rely on market mechanisms, but there needs to be a strengthening of the social aspects of society. This is because this pandemic condition teaches that when the wheels of the economy do not work as they should, mutual cooperation and social donations or philanthropy such as zakat and waqf can be a solution to meet the needs of the community in times of emergency, especially for the poor.

In other words, market-based economic mechanisms that are oriented towards efficiency and growth must be complemented by philanthropic mechanisms to ensure that equitable distribution of welfare in society can be realized. However, the philanthropic mechanism should not cause the recipient communities to depend on donor assistance, but must be based on empowerment and sustainability. So, it is hoped that the philanthropic mechanism can become a social safety net for the community in the long term.

In the author's view, waqf in the new normal period must become a new norm in society. Productive waqf management, if optimized, can drive the economy and the profits generated can be directed to become a source of sustainable financing for the education, health, and community economic empowerment sectors which are expected to achieve equitable and comprehensive welfare in the community.

Waqf as a new custom today requires a number of things to run optimally. First, the use of information technology in waqf management needs to be improved. This includes at least several aspects of waqf, such as socialization to the public, a digital-based waqf donation payment system, to an information system for waqf management.

Second, the synergy between waqf management institutions and the government needs to be strengthened so that several crucial aspects in waqf management, such as synergies in terms of mauquf 'alaih data (waqf beneficiaries) and government aid recipients data, as well as synergy between waqf management programs and development goals proclaimed. more optimal government. In addition, amendments to the 16-year-old Waqf Law that can accommodate current waqf management practices are also expected to strengthen waqf in Indonesia. As a new norm, waqf is no longer just donating to help others, but must be able to strengthen the national economy and improve the welfare of the community.

Third, waqf needs to be synergized with the national development agenda, one of which is the sustainable development goals (SDGs). This means that waqf should be in line with the SDGs movement, especially the aspect of providing waqf benefits in development sectors, such as education, health, poverty alleviation, job creation, to environmental issues. Specifically for the health sector, productive waqf management is needed to strengthen post-pandemic national health resilience, such as the procurement of PPE to medicines so that the provision of health services does not sacrifice national economic independence. (*)

*) Raditya Sukmana, Professor of Islamic economics, researcher at the Center of Islamic Social Finance Intelligence (CISFI) FEB Universitas Airlangga

source: https://www.jawapos.com/opini/03/08/2020/wakaf-sebagai-kelaziman-baru/