Minister Of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas Denies Hajj Funds Diverted For IKN In Today's Memory, 17 May 2022

JAKARTA Memories of today, three years ago, 17 May 2022, Minister of Religion (Menag), Yaqut Cholil Qoumas denied that the issue of hajj funds was diverted to build the capital city of the archipelago (IKN). He emphasized that the government continues to subsidize the pilgrims' hajj funds to Saudi Arabia.

Previously, President Joko Widodo's (Jokowi) wish to build IKN could not be dammed. He considered that Indonesia should have a new capital city which is believed to be the identity of the nation. Jokowi initially planned to carry out development without burdening state or state budget money.

The transfer of the capital city has intensified in the era of Jokowi's administration. Jokowi himself can't wait to move the capital city, from Jakarta to Panajam Paser Utara or later referred to as IKN.

He asked his staff to prepare the IKN design design. Jokowi wants many other architects and experts to be involved. The goal is that IKN can be built carefully. Jokowi also asked that IKN could be a marker of progress and environmental care.

All of these elements can make Indonesia known as a great nation. Jokowi also asked all Indonesian people to fully support the plan to build a new capital city. Jokowi also guaranteed that the development of IKN would not burden state money in 2019.

Jokowi asked the Minister of Finance, Sri Mulyani, to find a special scheme so that the state budget remains safe. However, the count missed. Jokowi again corrected his statement by revealing that the state budget was included as one of the IKN development financing schemes in 2022.

Financing will also come from investments in the private sector, state-owned enterprises, public bonds, and others. This condition raises criticism from everywhere. Jokowi is considered a leader who cannot be held by his words.

This condition also led to protests against IKN. All people view that IKN development has no urgency. They asked for IKN development funds to be diverted to increase people's lives.

"Temporarily, 466 trillion rupiah, that's approximately 19-20 percent, it will come from the state budget. I think we want this authority to be flexible and agile and can get funding schemes from various existing schemes.

"We hope that with the formation of the authority, there will be a head of authority and a deputy head of authority who will prepare the institution already exists, later a more detailed plan, whether it's DED (detailed engineering design) and others, it will also be prepared so that it will be more visible later," said Jokowi as quoted by the COMPASS.com page, March 15, 2022.

Not all of the funding schemes revealed by Jokowi can be used optimally. The private sector that wants to invest in IKN is minimal. This condition raises new issues. The Jokowi government is considered to have started wanting the use of hajj funds to be diverted to build IKN.

The issue of using hajj funds for IKN is spreading everywhere. Everything is because from 2020-2021 there is no departure for Hajj due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Criticism to the government continues to arrive. The government is considered not a mandate. Minister of Religion, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas also spoke up on May 17, 2022.

He emphasized that the hajj funds used to build IKN were not true. Yaqut also revealed that in terms of hajj funds, the government actually subsidized the funds.

Normally, Hajj people need funds of IDR 81.7 million. However, pilgrims only pay IDR 39.9 million. This condition makes the government prepare funds of up to 7.5 trillion for subsidies.

"That is not true at all, what exists is actually through the government's Hajj Financial Management Agency (BPKH) subsidizing the pilgrims so that the large costs that must be incurred by the congregation so that they can go to the holy land can be lighter," said Yaqut at the Merdeka Palace as quoted on the tempo page.co, 17 May 2022.