BP Haji Godok Strategy So That Hajj Costs Can Be Reduced

Deputy Head of BP Haji Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak while inspecting the catering kitchen serving Indonesian pilgrims. BETWEEN/HO-BP Hajj

JAKARTA - The Hajj Organizing Agency (BP Hajj) is designing a number of strategies to reduce the cost of Hajj in the future, following up on President Prabowo Subianto's direction.

"The president always asks that the cost of Hajj be lowered and that is a rational order. He wants the management of Hajj to be free from corruption, free from cartels, and so on," said Deputy Head of BP Haji Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak as reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, May 7.

Dahnil explained that one of the large components in the cost of Hajj, one of which is the residence period of pilgrims in Saudi Arabia, which currently reaches around 40 days.

However, he stressed that this condition is a systemic problem, including due to limited flights and airport slots.

"If it can be reduced to only about 30 days, it is very significant to reduce costs," said Dahnil.

To overcome this, BP Haji plans to expand cooperation with more airlines and improve flight schemes.

So far, said Dahnil, the Hajj flight uses a charter system that causes the plane to return to an empty state after sending the congregation to the Holy Land.

"It's like we buy tickets four times because the plane goes home without passengers," he said.

One solution that is currently being discussed is cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia so that Saudis can travel to Indonesia using the same aircraft, with discount ticket offers during the Hajj season.

This strategy, he said, is expected not only to reduce the cost of Hajj flights but also to have an economic impact on the national tourism sector.

"In addition, Hajj planes can also be used to carry cargo when returning to Indonesia to increase cost efficiency," said Dahnil.

The government, he said, would also review other aspects such as catering, accommodation, and procurement of Hajj services.

For catering, what has been successful is the delivery of native Indonesian spices for catering. Currently, 100 percent of the spices used by Saudi Arabian catering companies come from Indonesia.

Meanwhile, accommodation, the government continues to work out President Prabowo Subianto's plan regarding the construction of the Hajj village. It is believed that the construction of this Hajj village will reduce costs, and that Hajj services will be more efficient.

Regarding the response from Saudi Arabia, Dahnil said they welcomed the idea of developing bilateral tourism.

"They are open and will discuss it further. We hope that there will be a meeting between the Indonesian Minister of Tourism and the Minister of Tourism Saudi in the near future," he said.