"We will determine it, hopefully in the next two days, for all the Hajj Management Cost (BPIH)," Director General of Hajj and Umrah Organizers at the Ministry of Religious Affairs Hilman Latief said after a working meeting with Commission VIII of the House of Representatives (DPR) here on Monday.
In a press release issued by the ministry here on Tuesday, Latief said that the Ministry of Religious Affairs, together with the Hajj Fund Management Agency (BPKH) and Commission VIII of the DPR, is recalculating the components of the BPIH.
According to him, the ministry still needs more definitive data, including data on the duration of the pilgrims’ stay in Saudi Arabia, to determine the BPIH.
"It (the duration) is different from before, which was 42 days in total," he said.
Since the duration of the pilgrims’ stay is projected to be half of the duration before, the cost could possibly be lower, he noted.
A recalculation of the BPIH component needs to be carried out because there have been changes in the service costs, including aircraft service fees, consumption, and accommodation, he said.
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However, he emphasized that the government will seek to ensure that the cost of the pilgrimage does not burden pilgrims.
"Our hope is the same: not to burden the pilgrims. However, we also see the reality of (goods') prices that are going up," he remarked.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs has prepared scenarios for the cost of the pilgrimage based on the percentage of people who can depart, namely 50 percent, 40 percent, or 35 percent of the average pilgrims' quota in the previous period, he added.
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Translator: Asep Firmansyah, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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