"Our focus is Hajj pilgrims' satisfaction; there will be no more focus orientation other than that. The additional quota must be regulated to be the policy basis and to ensure time and budget efficiency," he added, according to a statement received here on Tuesday.
Indonesia initially got a Hajj quota of 221 thousand, comprising 203,320 regular and 17,680 special Hajj quotas, before obtaining an additional quota of eight thousand from Saudi Arabia.
The ministry will take follow-up action to process the extra Hajj quota, including deliberating on its allocation and funding with Commission VIII of the House of Representatives (DPR).
Qoumas said several factors, including the number of Hajj registrants and the length of the waiting period, must be considered before deciding the final quota allocation.
He pointed out that South Sulawesi, which has a waiting period of 47 years, should receive a portion of the additional Hajj quota.
Another aspect that must be considered is the percentage of Hajj fee payment, the minister added.
Meanwhile, director general of Hajj and Umrah at the ministry, Hilman Latief, said that out of the total additional quota, 7,360 would be regular and 640 would be special Hajj quota.
Latief affirmed that his ministry is ready to regulate the additional Hajj quota and adjust other aspects to accommodate it.
“The mitigation steps that the directorate general is doing and has done have included drafting a ministerial regulation on the extra Hajj quota, extending the regular Hajj fee payment period for the extra Hajj quota (recipients), supplementing cooperation contract with airlines, and adjusting fees," he said.
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Translator: Asep Firmansyah, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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