HIBAPRESS – Abdellatif Baraka
Following the recent fatwa issued two days ago by the Supreme Scientific Council regarding the provisions of Zakat, which specified the standards and the Sharia method for its disbursement, along with the launch of a new electronic portal enabling Moroccans to directly pose their questions and inquiries to the Council, the subject of the Moroccan Zakat Fund returns to the forefront, after more than twenty years since its establishment without being activated in the way that was hoped for.
The Zakat Fund, established in 1998, is one of the most prominent mechanisms that can contribute to supporting human and social development in Morocco. However, this fund has remained, since its establishment, without a clear organizational law or fixed financial resources, which made it a postponed project that has not yet left the stage of discussion and conceptualization, at a time when the need for sustainable social financing solutions to combat poverty and fragility is increasing.
A number of economic and accounting experts confirm that activating the Zakat Fund effectively can add to the national economy approximately 3% of the gross domestic product, which is equivalent to 34 billion dirhams annually, compared to the current amounts that do not exceed 3 billion dirhams. Resources of this size, if invested in studied productive and developmental projects, can contribute to improving the income of about 1.9 million poor or vulnerable families, and enabling them to participate in the economic cycle in a more sustainable manner.
The experiences of a number of Islamic countries indicate that integrating Zakat within public policies, with the establishment of precise mechanisms for management and control, and launching programs aimed at eradicating illiteracy, and developing income-generating projects, can have a tangible impact on combating poverty and reducing social disparities.
In this context, the Supreme Scientific Council recently announced the preparation of a comprehensive fatwa clarifying the provisions of Zakat, including the funds resulting from modern economic activities, in addition to launching an interactive website that enables citizens to view the jurisprudential and procedural details related to this Islamic pillar.
Despite these positive steps, the question remains: how can the expected financial potentials of the Zakat Fund be translated into tangible and realistic programs? And how can the legal and administrative obstacles that have prevented its activation for more than two decades be overcome?
It is noted that in this context, parliamentarian Naïma El Fathawy, from the Justice and Development Party, directed a question to the government about the measures to be taken to activate the Zakat Fund, stressing that this step can bring about a real transformation in supporting human and social development, and contribute to reducing the economic disparities that still worry wide segments of Moroccan society.
