BOGOR - Islamic Microfinance Expert, Andi Arkham Ihsan said that sharia cooperative is a medium to build solidarity of the ummah. That is because in the cooperative system, there is a term called cooperative joint responsibility or burden shared among members.
"Through the cooperative system,the society becomes solid, fused and mingle with one another. Because there is a medium that unites. Solid residents are the main capital and the most important. If it is solid, they will help each other," said Andi while explaining in a pickle Monday Forum STEI Tazkia, Monday (19/12/2016).
Ihsan continued, sharia cooperative will be financing alternatives for the people in the onslaught of increasingly massive loan sharks. Usually there will be a scheme of donation (infaq) in sharia cooperative that could be used as a reinforcement of social capital.
"Essentially, they will be spared from a loan shark. Someone could be saving, financing and also donating for the sake of other members. From instrument of donation (infaq) this will be very helpful and useful for the members. If one of them has got illness or gives birth, they can be helped out by using money from donations (infaq)," said Ihsan.
The man who is entrusted as director of Tazkia Micro Finance Tazkia gave some ideas of how sharia cooperative management system that he had developed with his team. One of the most important things in a sharia cooperative is the active role of its members. In addition, honest and trustworthy member is key to the sustainability of the cooperative.
"Through Qordul Hasan, participants will be trained to be honest, trustworthy and responsible. Once they are through this phase within a certain time, they can apply for financing," explained Ihsan.
Microfinance Law Decree No. 1/2013 states that the nature of the cooperative is to empower community and develop business. So, the original purpose of cooperatives themselves in not for business but for empowerment. "From the beginning, we have left a system that only provides finance without empowerment," said Ihsan. (Jn)
