2023 Hajj Fees Doubled Compared To Last Year, Minister Of Religion Explains Reasons Behind IDR 69 Million Per Pilgrim

Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas (Photo via Ministry)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Religion is proposing the 1444 H/2023 M Hajj Travel Expenses (Bipih) of IDR 69 million per pilgrim. This means that this year's Hajj fee has increased from the previous year which was set at IDR 39.8 million.

The proposed cost of the pilgrimage was conveyed by Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas in a working meeting with Commission VIII of the DPR when discussing the agenda for preparing for the 2023 Hajj pilgrimage, yesterday.

Yaqut specified the amount of IDR 69,193,733.60, which is 70 percent of the proposed average Hajj Implementation Fee (BPIH), which reached IDR 98,893,909.11. Compared to the previous year, the 2023 BPIH proposal increased by IDR 514,888.02.

However, according to Yaqut, compositionally there has been a significant change between the Bipih component that must be paid by the congregation and the component whose budget is allocated from the value of benefits (optimization).

Yaqut explained, BPIH 2022 amounted to IDR 98,379,021.09 with a Bipih composition of IDR 39,886,009.00 or 40.54 percent and a benefit value (optimization) of IDR 58,493,012.09 59.46 percent.

While the Ministry of Religion's proposal for BPIH 2023, is IDR 98,893,909.11 with a Bipih composition of IDR 69,193,734.00 70 percent and a benefit value (optimization) of IDR 29,700,175.11 30 percent.

The components that are charged directly to the congregation are used to pay for six things. First, the flight fee from embarkation to Saudi Arabia (PP) is IDR 33,979,784.00. Second, for Makkah accommodation IDR 18,768,000.00, third for Medina accommodation IDR 5,601,840.00.

Fourth, living costs or living costs IDR 4,080,000.00, fifth, Visa IDR 1,224,000.00. Sixth, the Masyair service package IDR 5,540,109.60.

The government proposes that the living cost given to pilgrims this year is only 1,000 real or the equivalent of IDR 4,080,000. This figure decreased by 500 reals from last year.

"That's the government's suggestion. In our opinion, that's the most logical way to keep what's in the BPKH from being eroded, yes with a composition like that. So the benefit fund is reduced, only 30 percent remains, while 70 percent is the responsibility of the congregation," said Yaqut in his statement, Friday, January 20.

According to Yaqut, this policy was taken by the government to formulate BPIH in order to balance the amount of the congregation's burden and the sustainability of the benefit value fund in the future.

Yaqut believes that the burden of BPIH must prioritize the principle of justice. The formulation, he claims, has also gone through a review process.

"BPIH's assignment must prioritize the principle of isthitha'ah and liquidity for the implementation of the pilgrimage in the following years," said Yaqut.

"Apart from maintaining it (BPKH), the second is also a matter of istitha'ah, the ability to carry out worship. Right, there are conditions if you can. Hajj if you can. This ability must be measured, we measure it with that value, "he added.

The amount of the cost of the pilgrimage, said Yaqut, is just a suggestion. Furthermore, the Ministry of Religion will wait for discussions at the level of the BPIH Working Committee formed by Commission VIII of the DPR.

"This is just a proposal, how much the cost will be agreed upon, depends on the discussion at the Working Committee," he said.

The Minister of Religion also targets that this year's BPIH can be determined on February 13, 2023.

"We hope that this proposal will be immediately discussed jointly between the DPR's BPIH Working Committee and the committee of the Ministry of Religion," said Yaqut.