Vice President: Hajj Fund Subsidy Must Be Rationalized To Keep It Running

Hajj (Photo: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Indonesian Vice President Ma'ruf Amin said subsidies for Hajj funds must be rationalized so that subsidies for pilgrims can continue. This was conveyed by the Vice President after attending the 23rd Indonesian Ulema Haul Event for the Late Habib Umar Bin Hood Alatas in Depok, West Java, Saturday.

"According to the report that I received, the Hajj fund BPKH (Hajj Financial Management Agency) provided (a subsidy) of 60 percent and that if allowed to erode. The subsidy must continue, it must be rationalized," said the vice president, quoted from ANTARA, Saturday, August 20. .

He said that actually the pilgrimage is for people who can afford it. However, it is necessary to manage funds to relieve it.

"But don't let it cause problems later on. Therefore, how is this managed so that, even if we subsidize, the subsidy will still run. So the amount of the subsidy given must be reviewed. Perhaps this needs to be done so that it continues," he explained.

Previously, Ma'ruf Amin had received an audience with the Head of the Implementing Agency and the Chairperson of the Supervisory Board of the Hajj Financial Management Agency (BPKH) and their ranks, at the Vice President's Official Residence, Jakarta, Monday, August 15.

According to the Spokesperson for the Vice President Masduki Baidlowi, the arrival of the ranks of the Implementing Body and the Supervisory Board of BPKH to report to the Vice President regarding the implementation of Hajj fund management for the last 5 years, the 2017-2022 term of office.

According to Masduki, the Vice President appreciated the performance of the Implementing Body and the BPKH Supervisory Board for the 2017-2022 period, because one of them succeeded in obtaining the title of Unqualified Opinion (WTP) from the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) for five consecutive years.

However, the vice president asked that the management of the future hajj organization be more efficient, because the vice president saw that the BPKH subsidy for the hajj costs so far is quite large, reaching 60 percent of the total hajj costs.