Cost of Hajj Cheaper by 502 Dollars, the Government Promises to Improve Services

Minister of Religious Affairs, Lukman Hakim Saifuddin

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has signed a Presidential Decree (Perpres) No. 64/2015 on Cost of Hajj (BPIH) in 1436 H/2015 M. According to this Perpres, BPIH significantly decreased by an average of 502 US dollars from 3.219 US dollars to 2,717 US dollars.

Although there is the decline of costs, President Jokowi asserted that the decline of costs should not reduce the quality of service to pilgrims. “It is precisely with this the decline, is expected the quality of service of Hajj could continuously be improved,” President Jokowi said in a press conference at the State Palace, Jakarta, Wednesday (27/5) afternoon.

Minister of Religious Affairs, Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, who accompanied President Jokowi on the occasion warrant, although conducted an efficiency of 502 US dollars, the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MORA) will not reduce the quality of service that is rightfully of pilgrims. In fact, there is an increased quality of service, for example, during the stay in Mecca, all the pilgrims will get a meal in the form of catering, once a day for 15 days. “This had never happened and will be enforced starting in this year’s Haj,” he said.

The second is the provision of bus Solawat, buses that operate for 24 hours non-stop in Mecca in order to make it easier for Indonesian pilgrims who inhabit in the hotels outside of the radius of two kilometers from Masjidil Haram.

“It will be facilitated by buses which operates 24 hours, and is increasingly multiplied the number of the bus fleet and increasingly operationalized more effectively and efficiently,” said Lukman while mentioning, for this year centers of concentration of pilgrims in Mecca more scaled down, from the previous 12 (two twelve) region into 6 (six), so it will be more efisiens in catering distribution and in operating buses which work for 24 hours.

According Minister of Religious Affairs, the number of prospective pilgrims who will travel this year amounted to 168 800 people, consisting of regularly prospective pilgrims as 155 200 people, and for special Hajj or ONH Plus as many as 13,600 people.

Flight Route

The flight route changes this year, the first group of pilgrims will be flown out of the country immediately to Medina and return via Jeddah. While the second group pilgrims will be flown out of the country towards Jeddah and return through Medina.

On that occasion, the Minister of Religious Lukman Hakim Saifuddin also said that he had just published a Regulation of the Minister of Religion, who among other stipulates that people whom already Hajj and want to sign up again, will be given the chance with the fastest time ten years later.

According to Minister of Religious Affairs, pilgrims’ waiting period are getting longer, because of the greater public interest and is not comparable with the Indonesian Hajj quota. Hence, the Ministry of Religious Affairs adopted a policy on Hajj, that Hajj really prioritized those who have never previously pilgrimage “That’s one way we shorten the queues,” he concluded. (Humas Setkab/Humas Kemenag/ES)