Good News For Prospective Hajj Pilgrims 2023 In West Kalimantan, Ministry Of Religion Extends Bipih Payment Time Limit

Illustration of prospective pilgrims from Indonesia leaving for the Holy Land. (Photo via Antara)

PONTIANAK - The Regional Office of the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) of West Kalimantan Province (Kalbar) has extended the deadline for payment of the 1444 H Hajj Travel Fee (Bipih). In fact, the Bipih examination was carried out today, Saturday, May 6.

However, the Head of the West Kalimantan Ministry of Religion Regional Office, Mihajirin Yanis, said the deadline for the payment was extended until May 12, 2023.

"To this day in Indonesia, including in West Kalimantan, there have been 188,964 prospective pilgrims paying off. There are still 14,356 who have not paid. Therefore, the payment stage has been extended until May 12, 2023," said Head of the West Kalimantan Ministry of Religion, Muhajirin Yanis in Pontianak, Saturday.

He explained that the payment of Bipih 1444 H has been open since April 11, 2023. The cancellation was closed on April 18, 2023 in line with the joint leave of Eid al-Fitr. After the Eid holiday, the payment was reopened on April 26, 2023.

"Those that have not been paid off include 264 regional hajj officers and 279 guidance on the Worship of the Hajj and Umrah Worship Guidance Group or KBIHU who have not paid off," he said.

This year, the quota for Indonesian pilgrims has returned to normal as many as 221,000 people. The quota consists of 203,320 regular pilgrims and 17,680 special Hajj pilgrims. For 203,320 quotas of regular pilgrims, consisting of 201,063 pilgrims, 685 guides at KBIHU, as well as 1,572 regional hajj officers (PHD).

He detailed the number of pilgrims from West Kalimantan for the Hajj season 1444 H / 2023 M as many as 2,519. The number of group supervisors was seven, the head of the six groups, the 18 health workers consisting of six doctors, 12 nurses and 18 PHD, and the Saudi Arabia Hajj and Umrah Worship Guidance Group (KBIHU) two people. Non-cluter officers, namely Saudi Arabia's Hajj Organizing Officer (PPIH) as many as seven people.

He said prospective pilgrims in the second wave. According to the 1444 H/2023 M Hajj Travel Plan (RPH) signed by the Director General of RPH on January 16, 2023. The RPH contains a series of stages of organizing the pilgrimage, starting from the beginning of the entry of pilgrims to Hajj dormitories.

"Furthermore, they flew to the Holy Land, until the last return of the congregation from Medina to Indonesia. The operational period of departure and repatriation is 30 days. Wave I 15 days and Wave II is 15 days. The maximum period of stay of the pilgrims in Saudi Arabia is 40 days," he said.