Jakarta, Aug. 28 -- Zakat, or Islamic almsgiving, plays a key role in addressing inequality and supporting national development, even as Indonesia's poverty rate falls below 10 percent, a senior official from the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) said.

"While poverty has dropped significantly, inequality remains a challenge. Zakat not only supports consumption but also empowers communities to break the cycle of poverty," the agency's acting Deputy for Human Development and Culture Pungkas Bahjuri Ali said.

He made the remarks during the National Coordination Meeting (Rakornas) of the National Amil Zakat Agency (Baznas) in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Pungkas stressed the importance of aligning Baznas programs with the government...