Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi confirmed the plan, which is included in the government's list of issues (DIM) submitted to the House of Representatives (DPR) as part of deliberations on the bill.
"There is such a plan. The DIM has been submitted to the DPR. We hope the process will be completed soon," Hadi told reporters at the presidential palace.
The plan to establish a new ministry is not merely to expand the cabinet structure, but rather to address the needs arising from the evaluation of the implementation of the previous Hajj pilgrimage, he said.
After one year of the Hajj Organizing Agency's formation (BP Haji), he said several observations have been made assessing the need to elevate the institution to the ministerial level.
Related news: Faster Hajj duty handover to BP Haji pursued
According to him, this is crucial for strengthening coordination with the Saudi Arabian government, given the high number of Indonesian pilgrims departing each year.
In addition to the Hajj, the Umrah pilgrimage is also a concern because nearly two million Indonesians travel annually.
Previously, Deputy House Speaker Cucun Ahmad Syamsurijal discussed the possibility of elevating the status of the Hajj Organizing Agency (BP Haji) to the Ministry of Hajj.
Syamsurijal stated that the Hajj Bill, currently being deliberated by the House, presents two options regarding the status of the Hajj and Umrah service providers.
"In the bill itself, there are still two options. Either it remains an agency, or some lawmakers want it to be elevated to the status of the Ministry of Hajj. We'll see how it develops," he said at the parliamentary complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Friday, August 15.
The draft bill — part of the 2025–2029 National Legislation Program — was introduced as a DPR initiative on July 24, 2025. Lawmakers are debating whether the agency should remain as-is or be elevated to a ministry.
The DPR aims to finalize the bill during its first session of the 2025–2026 legislative year, which runs through October 2.
Related news: Indonesia, Saudi Arabia team up to upgrade Hajj services
Translator: Arie Novarina
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
