The Minister of Labor and Social Development stresses the importance of the commitment to collecting and distributing zakat al-Fitr through electronic platforms and applications
23-04-2020
His Excellency Jameel bin Mohammad Ali Humaidan, Minister of Labour and Social Development, stressed that, in implementation of the decisions of the Coordination Committee chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, may God protect him, and the recommendations of the National Medical Taskforce for Combating the Coronavirus (COVID‑19), and in order to preserve the health and safety of all during the holy month of Ramadan, all civil society organisations and charitable societies must commit to not holding Iftar tables in public places, ensuring that Iftar tables are not distributed on the streets, and replacing Zakat Al Fitr collection and distribution booths with electronic platforms and applications only, so that these donations are received and distributed to those entitled to them through the same electronic methods. Humaidan stated that the esteemed government has great confidence in the awareness and commitment of all civil society organisations, and emphasised his aspiration for everyone's cooperation to preserve the health and safety of citizens and residents during the holy month of Ramadan. He emphasised that these precautionary measures were implemented based on the recommendations of the National Medical Taskforce for Combating the Coronavirus (COVID‑19). In this context, Humaidan pointed out that the Ministry of Labour and Social Development has taken numerous measures to ensure that NGOs obtain licences to collect funds electronically since 2017. This is part of ongoing efforts to facilitate licensing procedures and regulate the collection of funds and donations for civil society organisations. This includes activating the electronic payment service for many civil society organisations, specifically charitable ones, to facilitate the process of electronic cash donations without harming any community groups benefiting from donations during the holy month. It is worth noting that His Excellency Jameel bin Mohammad Ali Humaidan, Minister of Labour and Social Development, had approved electronic payments as a means of collecting and distributing donations to those entitled to them since 2017, in coordination with the Central Bank of Bahrain and relevant financial and banking companies. This decision came in compliance with the eighth recommendation of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which stipulates that measures must be taken to protect organisations from exploitation in the field of money laundering and terrorist financing.