The issue of the increase in Hajj costs in 2026, the DPR: Do not burden the pilgrims, the state must bear the increase in costs.

Illustration of Indonesian Hajj pilgrims (ANTARA)

Member of Commission VIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives from the Golkar Party Faction, Sandi Fitrian Noor, asked the public not to panic about the issue of the increase in the cost of organizing the 2026 hajj due to the Middle East war. Even so, he demanded that the state must work extra hard to ensure that the finances of the hajj remain safe.

This was said by Sandi after the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah explained the increase in jet fuel prices, adjustments to flight routes to avoid conflict areas, increased insurance premiums, and increased flight duration as factors contributing to the potential increase in Hajj operational costs in a meeting with Commission VIII of the DPR yesterday.

"Global conflicts, rising jet fuel prices, and weakening of the rupiah exchange rate are real threats. But don't let this burden be borne by the pilgrims. We must ensure that Indonesia has a strong enough foundation," Sandi told reporters, Thursday, April 9.

According to Sandi, the increase in jet fuel costs and its impact on the cost of the hajj, needs to be handled carefully, proportionately, and fairly so as not to burden Indonesian pilgrims.

"As a member of Commission VIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives, which deals with religious affairs, I consider that the implementation of the hajj cannot be approached solely with business logic, but must prioritize the principles of public service and social justice," he said.

Sandi explained the official data that became the basis for his rational optimism. For departure in 2026, he said, the total BPIH was set at Rp. 87.4 million per pilgrim.

Of this amount, the government only charged Rp54.19 million (62 percent) to the pilgrims. The remaining Rp33.21 million (38 percent) was borne by the state through the Benefit Value of the management of the Hajj fund by the Hajj Finance Management Agency (BPKH).

"This is concrete evidence that the state is present. Without the Value Benefit subsidy, the cost of the hajj can jump drastically. So our task in Commission VIII is to ensure that BPKH continues to improve the performance of its investment in a sharia and prudent manner," said the legislator from the South Kalimantan District.

According to Sandi, currently, BPKH manages a debt of around Rp. 171 trillion. The net investment result in 2024 reached Rp. 11.6 trillion. However, regulations still limit the maximum share investment portion to 30 percent.

Therefore, Sandi proposed that the government needed to study increasing the investment limit to 40 percent for blue-chip sharia shares, while still maintaining the principle of prudence. "The greater the investment returns, the smaller the burden on the pilgrims. But this must be gradual and closely monitored," he said.

Sandi also appreciated the BPKH policy which maintains liquidity equivalent to twice the total cost of the current year's hajj. If the total cost of the hajj is Rp. 17 trillion, according to him, the liquidity reserve reaches Rp. 40 trillion in the form of easily liquidable sharia deposits.

"This reserve must be prioritized to anticipate a sudden increase in the price of jet fuel (which accounts for 40 percent of the cost of operating an aircraft) and accommodation costs in Saudi Arabia due to a surge in demand," explained Sandi.

Sandi also reminded the public that despite the threat of a global war, BPIH 2026 was successfully reduced by Rp2 million compared to the previous year. This reduction is mainly due to the cost efficiency of hotels and accommodation in Saudi Arabia as a result of better negotiations.

"This means that if we are serious about efficiency and professional financial management, the increase due to the global war can be dampened. Do not let the war discourse be used by irresponsible parties to unilaterally increase the cost of the hajj," he said.

"I want pilgrims from Banjarmasin, Banjarbaru, Martapura, to Kotabaru not to worry about additional costs due to wars in other countries. The state must be a protector. With the optimization of the Value of Benefits and strong liquidity reserves, I am optimistic that the cost of Hajj will remain under control," added Sandi.

Previously, in the Raker of Commission VIII of the DPR with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah on Wednesday, April 8, it was stated that due to the global conflict in the form of Iran vs. US-Israel, it had an impact on the implementation of the hajj. The rising price of avtur, plans to change the flight route to avoid conflict areas, increased insurance premiums, additional hours of longer Hajj flights and others.

Minister of Hajj and Umrah Irfan Yusuf said that Garuda Airlines had submitted an additional cost of 7.9 million per jamaah, while the Saudi Arabia Airline had submitted 137.4 US cents per liter of avtur price.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, stated that President Prabowo had agreed not to burden the increase in the cost of the hajj due to the increase in the cost of avtur to the pilgrims. Dahnil stated that the President had agreed to use the state budget to cover the shortfall in the cost of the hajj.