Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian Hajj Supervisory Commission (KPHI) has urged the Religious Affairs Ministry, in this case the Directorate General of Hajj and Minor Hajj Affairs, to manage Hajj finances carefully while organizing the 2017 Hajj pilgrimage.

KPHI Chairman Samidi Nashir stated in Jakarta on Tuesday that the management of funds for the Hajj pilgrimage should be carried out carefully, as Indonesias Hajj quota this year has increased to 221 thousand pilgrims.

Moreover, this year, the management of Hajj finances is going through a transitional phase, from the Directorate General of Hajj and Minor Hajj Affairs to the Hajj Financial Management Agency (BPKH), Nashir informed ANTARA.

Nashir noted that the appeal to the ministry to manage Hajj finances carefully was made by the KPHI.

Nashir pointed out that his side had always highlighted this matter, so that the management of Hajj financial affairs is always carried out efficiently.

Nashir said his side had expressed hope that the BPKH would have been inducted before the implementation of the Hajj pilgrimage this year. However, it seems that it could not yet become fully operational, although the members and supervisory board of the BPKH have been already announced.

In line with the issuance of Law Number 34 of 2014 on Hajj Financial Management, the management of Hajj funds will no longer be handled by the Religious Affairs Ministry in future but by the BPKH.

Last week, President Joko Widodo had received the Selection Committee of the BPKH, which was chaired by Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin. On the occasion, Saifuddin had handed over the results of the selection of the BPKH member candidates.

During the selection test, 14 were chosen to become the BPKH members and 10 others were selected to serve as members of the BPKH Supervisory Board.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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