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TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs Muhammad Syafi'i said the Indonesian government is trying to reduce the amount of the 2025 Hajj Pilgrimage Cost (BPIH) and the cost burden that must be paid by pilgrims.
"(BPIH) could be Rp85 million," he told reporters at the Parliament Complex, Central Jakarta, on Monday, December 30, 2024.
Syafi'i stated that the proposal for the 2025 regular and special BPIH that had been submitted by the Ministry of Religious Affairs to Commission VIII in a letter numbered B-437/MA/HJ.00/12/2024 had not been officially determined and would still be discussed by the working committee or Panja of Commission VIII of the DPR. He said the amount of BPIH would be determined no later than January 10, 2025. "We hope it will not reach Rp90 million," he said.
Furthermore, Syafi'i said that his party was still reviewing so that the cost of the hajj pilgrimage (Bipih) borne by the pilgrims would not be more than 60 percent of the total BPIH with a benefit value of 40 percent. "God willing, if this can be combed again, the Bipih can be below Rp56 million."
Based on the initial study conducted by the Ministry of Religion, Syafi'i said there are several components whose costs can be cut, namely flight costs and consumption of pilgrims.
Airfare efficiency can be achieved by negotiating a reduction in the price of aircraft fuel or avtur for the Hajj trip. "There is a policy from Mr. Prabowo that for the high season alone it can be cut by 10 percent," he said.
In addition to targeting flight costs, Syafi'i said there is an opportunity for the government to cut the cost of consumption of Hajj pilgrims in the Saudi Arabian exchange rate, namely the Saudi Riyal (SAR) per serving of food.
"The previous catering was 16 and a half (SAR) and could possibly be reduced to 15 to 14 SAR per serving," he said.
Reflecting on the implementation of the 2024 Hajj, the amount of BPIH 2024 is Rp93.4 million. With an average per pilgrims amounting to Rp56,046,172 or 60 percent, which includes flight costs, accommodation in Mecca and Medina, as well as living and visa costs.
For the rest, it will be taken from the average financial benefit value of the hajj per pilgrim of Rp37,364,114 or 40 percent, which includes the cost component of organizing the domestic hajj.
Quoting the official Kemenag.go.id page, in detail, the components of the 2024 BPIH are as follows:
- Flight costs: Rp33.427 million
- Cost of living: Rp3.2 million
- Insurance premium: Rp175,000
- Visa: Rp300,000
- Accommodation in Mecca and Medina: Rp23.8 million
- Consumption in Saudi Arabia: Rp6.9 million
- Transportation in Saudi Arabia: Rp4.7 million
- Masyair costs: Rp17.7 million
- Protection in Saudi Arabia: Rp139,000
- Guidance of Hajj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia: Rp24,000
- Public services in Saudi Arabia: Rp100,200
- BPIH management in Saudi Arabia: Rp7,184
- Embarkation accommodation: Rp125,000
- Consumption at embarkation: Rp219,000
- Domestic protection: Rp55,400
- Embarkation and disembarkation services: Rp134,000
- Domestic immigration services: Rp13,000
- Domestic travel documents: Rp210,000
- Domestic pilgrim guidance: Rp940,000
- Domestic general services: Rp774,000
- BPIH management: Rp311,000
Alfitria Nefi P contributed to this article.
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