BPIH, Said The Chairman Of Commission VIII DPR RI, Should Not ImPOSe Pilgrims For Hajj Candidates

Chairman of Commission VIII DPR Ashabul Kahfi. (DPR RI)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Religion's 2023 proposal regarding the increase in the cost of the pilgrimage (BPIH) is still being discussed. According to the Chairman of Commission VIII of the House of Representatives, Ashabul Kahfi BPIH, it should not burden the pilgrims of prospective pilgrims.

Until now, the government and the DPR RI have not agreed on the amount of BPIH 2023. Previously, the government proposed a Bipih of Rp. 69 million. Meanwhile, the DPR RI proposed a range of Rp. 50 million to Rp. 55 million.

However, the sacred intention is hindered by very expensive costs. Actually, this must be considered by the Government, without having to burden the community," he explained in a press statement, Monday, February 6. According to him, the economic capacity of most members of Indonesian pilgrims who come from various professional backgrounds is not sufficient if the government decides to increase BPIH by Rp. 69 million.

"We know that most of those who go on pilgrimage from farmers, fishermen, small traders, and workers who have the desire to carry out the obligations of Muslims," he explained.

He added that the nominal value of hajj costs as much as possible must be suppressed by the government without reducing the best service to pilgrims. "The task of the government is actually like that, making policies that make it easier for the community and good service," he said.

"The plan is that on February 14, Commission VIII together with the Government will determine Bipih. According to Kahfi, it is currently still in the study stage, but the proposed BPIH 2023 range must be realistic and meet the expectations of prospective pilgrims. Not yet, it is still being studied. On February 14, we (commissioned) have determined," he said.

Last January, Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas proposed an increase in the cost of regular 2023 Hajj which was originally Rp39.8 million to Rp69.1 million. Controversy surfaced, after the authority to organize the Saudi Arabian royal pilgrimage, it announced a reduction in the cost of the post-pandemic hajj component.

The government claims the total BPIH or travel costs and year-old Hajj accommodation reach IDR 93 million. Regular Hajj pilgrims bear 70 percent or around IDR 69 million, the remaining 30 percent is subsidized by the government from Hajj deposit savings. The cost of regular Hajj travel is the domain of the government, and is set annually by the Presidential Decree, after obtaining the approval of the DPR RI, in this case Commission VIII DPR-RI. Referring to previous years, the Presidential Decree was signed by the President, three months before departure.