Online charity drive gains pace; Zakat dept tops

MUSCAT, June 6 - Online charity drive in the Sultanate has gathered steam, with the electronic portal mopping up RO 21,443,43 so far through 631 contributors since the beginning of Ramadhan. With the donation process having been easy and accessible via the e-payment gateway, the figure (contribution) has continued to rise. Since the beginning of the year until Tuesday, the amount of sadaqa received stood at RO 43,342,23, zakat RO 42,281,72, Yemen aid RO 13,772, Ramadhan iftar meal RO 8,741, Syria aid RO 7,380, Ramadhan ration RO 4,321 and Eid clothes RO 1,088. Zakat Department at the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs has received the highest quantum of donations so far: RO 23,164 from 142 donors. Oman Charitable Organisation received RO 10,691. Twenty-six charity organisations benefit from the portal. These include: Dar Al Atta’a Charity, Oman Association for the Disabled, Environment Society of Oman, The Association of the Welfare of the Handicapped, Al Noor Association for the Blind, Association of Early Intervention for Children with Special Needs, National Association for Cancer Awareness, Oman Hereditary Blood Disorder Association & Oman Charity Organization, Al Rahma Association and others. The electronic portal, launched by the Ministry of Social Development in 2009 and operated by the Information Technology Authority (ITA), simplifies the process of making contributions to the charity of one’s choice. Besides saving time, online payment is a highly secured service. All transactions are carried out through a closely monitored portal to protect people’s interests. By Zainab al Nassri