INDONESIA as the country with the largest Muslim population in the world has great public economic potential. This is at least visible with the emergence of various Islamic financial instruments. Both commercial ones such as sharia banking, sharia capital markets, takaful, and others as well as social ones such as zakat and waqf.

Especially regarding waqf, there is still a gap between potential and realization. This potential is reflected in the area of ​​waqf land throughout Indonesia which reaches 52,583.45 hectares and is spread across 392,884 locations, as can be seen on the Waqf Information System (Siwak) page of the Indonesian Ministry of Religion.

Apart from land waqf, currently cash waqf instruments are also known. Namely, waqf assets are in the form of cash which is managed sustainably in productive businesses. Existing data shows that the potential for cash waqf in Indonesia reaches IDR 180 trillion per year. The realization and management of the waqf potential above, if it can be optimized, should be able to improve the socio-economic conditions of the nation. This is in line with the mandate of article 22 of Law No. 41 of 2004 concerning Waqf, that the benefits from waqf management are directed towards da'wah programs, alleviating poverty, providing essential services such as education and health, as well as economic empowerment of the people.

However, the realization in the field is not yet fully in line with the existing potential. The Ministry of Religion noted that the average annual realization of cash waqf from 2011 to 2018 was IDR 31.9 billion. Apart from that, the land waqf reported in Siwak is only limited to socio-religious uses. Such as mosques, madrasas and cemeteries.

The waqf literacy index (ILW) released by the Ministry of Religion in 2020 is also still at 50.48 or the low category. In other words, Indonesian society's literacy about waqf is still minimal. This shows that waqf still has a very wide potential space to be explored with the prerequisites for public literacy regarding waqf which must be improved and waqf management which is directed at productive management.

In connection with the above, the government, in this case the president of the Republic of Indonesia, launched the National Cash Waqf Movement (GNWU) on January 25 2021. GNWU needs to receive appreciation as a form of the government's seriousness in developing the waqf sector in Indonesia. The waqf institution in Indonesia which is equipped with statutory regulations (the Waqf Law and its derivative regulations) as well as a special state institution regarding waqf (BWI) must be accompanied by socialization in the community so that the practice of waqf is increasingly widely known and implemented by the public.

However, one thing that according to the author needs to be of common concern is that GNWU must be accompanied by a structured mechanism in order to achieve its goals. This is because the government launched a movement with the same name on January 8 2010, also with the title GNWU. However, in the author's view, GNWU at that time had not yet shown the results we expected.

There are several things that according to the author need to be done so that the GNWU launched by the government this year can run optimally. First, there needs to be a clear division of labor between stakeholders in the field of waqf. The success of the GNWU cannot be blamed on one entity alone. However, it must be a joint commitment from the central government, BWI, to the wider community as wakif, nazhir who manage waqf, to ulama and academics as parties who have knowledge in the field of waqf.

Second, GNWU is not limited to being an exciting activity at the start of its launch. GNWU must have derivative activities after the inauguration, especially collaborating with the community, so that the introduction of waqf through GNWU can truly be realized. These activities can take the form of religious lectures, content on social media, and the provision of endowment services which can be done via gadgets. Apart from that, GNWU must receive a good reception from the local government. This can be realized through derivative activities involving elements of regional government and involving the wider community.

Third, GNWU's success is determined by a transparent and accountable evaluation mechanism. Learning from the 2010 GNWU case, the lack of news coverage after the inauguration of the GNWU can be seen from the absence of measures that prove the success or failure of the movement. Therefore, the measurement of the waqf literacy index (ILW) carried out by the Ministry of Religion in 2020 must be continued regularly, so that the development of waqf literacy in society can continue to be monitored from time to time.

In addition, the waqf statistical database needs to be improved. These include the development of productive waqf assets and surplus, the realization of cash waqf and its management from time to time, the impact of waqf management on the socio-economic conditions of society, and so on. The national waqf index (IWN) initiated by a joint research team Universitas Airlangga , Gadjah Mada University, Bogor Agricultural Institute and Bandung Institute of Technology can also be a measure adopted to evaluate the development of waqf, such as the national zakat index (IZN) which has been adopted in the sector. almsgiving.

The GNWU launched by the government must be seen as a joint effort towards Indonesia becoming the center of the world sharia economy. However, learning from the previous GNWU in 2010, a mechanism is needed to ensure that the 2021 GNWU can achieve its goal, namely to stimulate the spirit of waqf in society. And, more importantly, GNWU must be the starting point towards Indonesian waqf which has a positive impact on societal development, like the golden ink of waqf during the heyday of Islamic civilization.  (*)

*) Raditya Sukmana, Professor of Islamic Economics and Head of the Islamic Economics Doctoral Study Program, Universitas Airlangga