15-19 April 2015, the author had the opportunity to visit
Sydney Australia at the invitation of Sydney University. This
invitation-related event Asia Pacific Awqaf Congress held Sydney University and
Awqaf Australia. Some countries became participants of this activity, such as
Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, UK, Kuwait, Somalia, Fiji, Canada, New Zealand,
and of course the host Australia. The participants generally endowments
practitioners and academics or experts in the field of endowments of the
countries of Asia Pacific.
In this Congress dealt with topics surrounding the waqf
development and utilization. Some interesting topics discussed include: waqf
and economic empowerment of the people, waqf for the management of the
hospital, waqf for funding research and innovation in universities, waqf for
the prevention former commercial sex workers, waq for business development,
management of waqf and sukuk to finance commercial, waqf for farm and
development school of nazir.
At the end of this event also recommended the need for
cooperation between the managers of waqf in various countries for the
development of waqf. The meeting also recommended that these waqf congress
later be expanded into a worldwide level. In the event waqf congress is also expected
to become a world-class exhibition and expo of waqf investment market. Each
institution of each country will be able to show and offer cooperation or
investment opportunities waqf to institutions of other countries.
In Sydney there are mosques and Islamic schools were built
from waqf donations Muslim community there. For example Ali Bin Abi Talib
mosque in Lakemba which was built by descendants of Lebanese Muslim community.
Currently Australia waqf institutions (Awqaf Australia) based business is
developing waqf. Some business activity was in the field of food such as corned
beef and honey, as well as the manufacture of leather goods sheep and cattle.
This endowment investment returns are used to finance various social activities
of preaching and worship of Muslims.
When in Indonesia, utilization of waqf is also used for
social activities to help the poor, then the numbers are very small in Sydney.
This is because in Sydney and generally in Australia, public welfare are
concerned. For Australian citizens who are poor, the government provides
subsidies to support their lives. The subsidies in the form of a certain amount
of money monthly, acquisition costs of medical treatment in a hospital and
school fees in public schools (public schools managed by the government).
A colleague of Indonesia reported that, when there are
fellow Indonesian people who have become permanent residents experienced pain
and kidney failure must undergo dialysis three times a week routine in the
hospital, all the costs have been released. Even to facilitate the process of
dialysis to be done, then the machine dialysis, it can be brought back to the
house, so that patients from Indonesia could do dialysis themselves after being
given a technical briefing to do dialysis at home. Provision of home dialysis
machine for kidney failure patients applies to all citizens in Australia.
From where the big money to provide health and welfare
services? The source of funds comes from taxes. Income tax in Australia,
including quite large. Australia's income tax rate ranges between 30% - 60%
progressively. The greater the income, the greater the amount of tax to be
paid. Although rates of labor services in Australia, including the most
expensive in the world, but the taxes it pays are also very large. No wonder,
when the major income tax, the state is able to provide welfare services to its
citizens very well.
