ISLAMABAD, Nov 8: Zakat and Ushr Minister Noorul Haq Qadri was informed on Saturday that accumulated reserves which covered the Zakat budget deficit annually had almost depleted.

A joint secretary of the ministry, which was a part of religious affairs ministry before this week’s cabinet expansion, informed the minister that about Rs4 billion are collected as Zakat annually, but the ministry’s budget for 2008-09 is Rs7.37 billion.

According to an official handout, the minister was briefed about Zakat disbursement mechanism -- Central Zakat Council, provincial Zakat councils, district Zakat committees and local Zakat committees.

The meeting was told that the government intended to revamp the system through integration of Pakistan Baitul Mal and Zakat establishment to avoid overlapping.

The minister stressed the need to make the system more transparent.

According to the current practice, the budgeted amount is transferred by the Central Zakat Council to provincial Zakat councils, which forward it to district Zakat committees on the basis of population. Then the district Zakat committees transferred funds to local Zakat committees on the basis of need.

Mr Qadri underlined the need for launching an awareness campaign about useful schemes of Zakat.