PKB Legislators Call Commission VIII Of DPR And Ministry Of Religion Had Reduced The 2023 Hajj Fee To IDR 49 Million

DPR Commission VIII meeting related to the departure fee for the 2023 Hajj pilgrims, Tuesday, February 14, 2023. (Nailin-VOI)

JAKARTA - After being postponed for one day, the announcement of the 2023 Hajj fee is planned to be determined today. The DPR Commission VIII public hearing (RDPU) meeting with the Ministry of Religion (Kemanag) regarding the discussion of the components of the 2023 hajj pilgrimage (BPIH) costs will continue Wednesday 15 February.

Last night, the DPR Commission VIII working committee (Panja) stated that the 2023 Hajj pilgrimage fee could be reduced to IDR 49 million.

DPR Commission VIII Panja member MF Nurhuda Yusro appreciates the Ministry of Religion for being able to reduce the cost of the 2023 Hajj pilgrimage to IDR 49 million from the original proposal of IDR 69 million.

According to him, the figure below IDR 50 million is quite a relief for prospective pilgrims in 2023.

"We appreciate the Ministry of Religion's efforts to reduce the relatively high costs, which were initially IDR 69 million, and now it has fallen to IDR 50 million for prospective congregations, from the total BPIH, which was IDR 98 million, it has fallen to IDR 90 million. We appreciate it frankly, that is an extraordinary effort," said Nurhuda when contacted, Wednesday, February 15.

Previously, the Director General of Hajj Organizing at the Ministry of Religion, Hilman, said that his party proposed that the 2023 Hajj pilgrimage (Bipih) costs paid by the congregation be reduced to IDR 49.81 million. However, the figures from the latest study by the Ministry of Religion have not yet been finalized.

This figure is 55.3 percent of the proposed average cost of organizing the 2023 Hajj pilgrimage (BPIH), which reaches IDR 90.02 million.

Meanwhile, in the Ministry of Religion's initial proposal, the 2023 BPIH was proposed in the amount of IDR 98.89 million with the Bipih composition increasing to 70 percent or IDR 69.19 million and the composition of the value of benefits decreasing to 30 percent or IDR 29.7 million.

"For BPIH, what we are proposing is IDR 90.02 million with a composition of IDR 49.81 million (Bipih) with a benefit value of IDR 40.21 million or for Bipih we are proposing 55.3 percent, and for a benefit value of 44.7 percent," said Hilman at the hearing meeting (RDP) with Commission VIII DPR RI, Tuesday, 14 February.

The 2023 Bipih details consist of flight costs from embarkation to Saudi Arabia (PP) of IDR 32.74 million, living costs of IDR 3.030 million, and community service packages of IDR 14.03 million.