Towards A Unified Zakat System

Another advantage is the accumulation of technicalexpertise and information handling characteristics of acentralised institution. Muslims do not all know thecomplicated Zakat evaluation method and this can be greatlyfacilitated by a central Zakat body, which would have themeans and capability of providing Zakat payers with freeevaluation.Moreover, it might well be expected that some Zakat payersnot to know to whom they should pay Zakat. In other cases,Zakat payers may be by individuals who may be acting as tobe poor in order to obtain easy money. Indeed, there aremany people who use this kind of ruse and spend severaldays visiting tens of towns and cities to collect fromwealthy Zakat payers. This information problem would besolved by a central institution, as it would be easier toidentify these corrupt and false beneficiaries.Finally, there is what might be called the wholesale orbulk phenomenon. Suppose 100 Zakat payers each pay £50 inZakat. If they pay it separately they would be giving £50to a variety of needy people who, in turn, will tend to useit in consumption (since it is not an amount that allowsfor investment). If, instead, they paid it to a single265