Minister Of Religion Yaqut: All Pilgrims Of Hajj Candidates Have Paid Departure Fees

Illustration of pilgrims from Indonesia carrying out worship at the departure of 2022. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Minister of Religion (Menag) Yaqut Cholil Qoumas said that all pilgrims for Hajj in 2023 have paid for the cost of the pilgrimage or Bipih.

"As of this hour (12.30 WIB), thank God, the excesses that have registered have been paid off. So it has been 100 percent," he said during a working meeting with Commission VIII of the DPR in Jakarta, Wednesday, May 17, which was confiscated by Antara.

Thus, 203,320 prospective pilgrims or 100 percent of the quota for the departure of regular pilgrims has been filled.

The Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) then focuses on managing the use of additional hajj quotas for 8,000 people, including handling the repayment of their Hajj costs.

The Indonesian government in the implementation of the Hajj pilgrimage in 2023 initially received a quota to send 221,000 people to the Holy Land.

The quota for the departure of pilgrims includes a regular hajj quota (203,320 people) and a special hajj quota (17,680 people).

The government of Saudi Arabia then provided additional hajj quotas for 8,000 people.

Initially, the government set a period of payment of Hajj costs from April 11 to May 5, then extended the deadline to May 12 and again extended the payment deadline until May 19, 2023.

Minister of Religion Yaqut said the high percentage of prospective hajj pilgrims who paid off the hajj costs could not be separated from the hard work of Hajj service officers in the regions.

"This shows our friends in the regions working hard. There is no doubt about it," he said.

Minister of Religion Yaqut said that the government was ready to provide Hajj services.

According to him, overall preparations for organizing the Hajj service have been completed, including the preparation of flight services, accommodation, transportation, and consumption for pilgrims.

"God willing, it will be ready. All contracts have been completed, all lodging, catering, transportation, and flights have been completed," he said.

At the beginning of the meeting with the DPR, Minister of Religion Yaqut said there were still 1,035 regular Hajj candidates who had not paid the cost of the pilgrimage.

However, on Wednesday afternoon May 17, everything has completed the payment of the Hajj fee, so that all major hajj quotas can be utilized.

Minister of Religion Yaqut appreciated the hard work of Ministry of Religion officials in the regions in seeking Hajj candidates to settle the payment of Hajj costs, including by directly visiting prospective hajj candidates.

"From the start, we asked the ranks of the KUA (Religious Affairs Office) to come to the congregation, whether they would pay off or not. If not, they must make a statement and not pay," he said.

The Ministry of Religion then focuses on regulating the use of additional hajj quotas for 8,000 people to shorten the queue for Hajj departures.