Experiencing Budget Deficit In 2023, BPKH: Impact Of Dynamic Hajj Fee Policy Due To Pandemic

Member Of The BPKH Implementing Agency For Finance Amri Yusuf/PHOTO: Diah Ayu-VOI

JAKARTA - The Hajj Financial Management Agency (BPKH) explained the cause of the budget deficit of IDR 317.36 billion in financial reports in 2023.

Member of the BPKH Implementing Agency for Finance, Amri Yusuf, explained that this was due to the dynamic policy of organizing the pilgrimage (bipih) in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This policy aims to ease the burden on the congregation, especially the congregation being paid off postponed," Amri said in Jakarta, Thursday, August 1.

Amri explained that the source of financing for paid-up pilgrims was taken from net assets in the form of accumulation of benefits that were not used in the 2020 and 2021 Hajj seasons. And in 2022 the congregation's departure quota is only 50 percent.

"In other words, the deficit experienced was not due to poor financial management but the effect of the government and the DPR's decision to support the congregation to pay off the 2020 and 2022 delays, which in accounting were recorded as a burden for the 2023 current year," he explained.

Amri explained that BPKH manages three bilih schemes to ensure that the burden of the congregation in 2023 can be minimized.

First, the congregation paid off the postponement in 2020 was not subject to an additional 84,609 Biph pilgrims. Then, 9.864 pilgrims paid off for the 2022 delay who did not leave because the pandemic was only subject to 40 percent Bipiah from BPIH. Then, as many as 106.590 pilgrims paid 55 percent from BPIH.

"Congregants paid off for the 2022 postponement are subject to 40 percent of the total BPIH (Hajj Implementation Fee), which means getting a subsidy of 60 percent benefit value," explained Amri.

"Meanwhile, the 2023 pilgrims are subject to a 55 percent Bipiah from BPIH with a subsidy of 45 percent benefit value. Meanwhile, the 2020 pilgrims are not subject to additional Bipih," he continued.