The Maldives Zakat House has opened the opportunity for people to pay Zakat al-Fitr in the form of grain products, with collection taking place at the Centre for Higher Secondary Education (CHSE) in Malé City.

According to Zakat House, individuals who wish to fulfil their Zakat al-Fitr obligation using agricultural products can do so on March 14, 15, 16 and 18. Collection counters will operate from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on March 14 and 15, while on March 16 and 18 the service will be available during two sessions: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Authorities stated that the system has been introduced to assist those who face difficulties making payments through the Government’s online Zakat platform, which has been available since the beginning of Ramadan.

Zakat House said Zakat al-Fitr contributions in grain will be accepted in several staple items including normal rice, Thai rice, basmati rice, red rice, normal flour and atta flour.

The required amount of Zakat al-Fitr has been set at 2.4 kilograms of grain per person, calculated according to the staple food commonly consumed by a household.

According to statistics released by Zakat House, MVR 5.4 million has been collected as Zakat during the first 15 days of Ramadan, marking the highest amount recorded during the same period compared to the previous three years.