"The government has accomplished much in its efforts to find lodgings for Indonesian pilgrims. Over 93 percent of our pilgrims are now accommodated in areas less than one kilometer from the Haram Mosque," Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali said here on Wednesday.
The minister said enabling pilgrims to be accommodated closer to Haram Mosque had always been something the government wanted to do and over the years it had succeeded in gradually achieving its goal as many pilgrims could attest.
The minister also said the government had also made sure that all of the lodgings would be filled according to their capacity, so no room would be occupied by more than the number of people for which it was designed.
Secretary General of the Ministry of Religious Affairs Bahrul Hayat said the government had succeeded in providing accommodations for pilgrims that were closer to the mosque every year.
He said in 2009, about 27 percent of pilgrims stayed less than two kilometers from the Haram Mosque, in 2010 it was 63 percent and in 2011 the percentage had reached 93 percent. "This is better than the target of 83 percent," he said. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
