Next year's haj pilgrimage fee set at Rp 7.2 million<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government announced yesterday that the 1996
\nofficial fee for the pilgrimage to Mecca will be Rp 7,290,000
\n(US$3,230), roughly 3 percent higher than this year's fee.<\/p>\n
Announcing the new charge, Minister of Religious Affairs
\nTarmizi Taher said that the increase had been introduced because
\nof an 11-point change in the position of the rupiah against the
\nUnited States and Saudi currencies.<\/p>\n
This year's fee was Rp 7,070,000.<\/p>\n
Tarmizi said that the 1996 quota for Indonesian pilgrims is
\n195,000 people.<\/p>\n
To manage the enormous number of people going on the haj
\npilgrimage to Mecca, the Saudi government sets a quota of one for
\nevery 1,000 people in each country.<\/p>\n
According to Tarmizi, because of this year's large number of
\nregistrants for the pilgrimage, more than 40,000 Indonesians are
\nalready registered for next year's pilgrimage.<\/p>\n
\"Due to the fact that as many as 40,720 haj candidates from
\nlast year's (1995) waiting list have agreed to perform the
\npilgrimage in 1996, the number of registrants accepted through
\ngovernment banks will only be 155,000,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He added that registration and payment in full of the 1996 fee
\nbegins on Sept. 1, estimating the quota will be filled within
\ntwo-months.<\/p>\n
In making the announcement, Tarmizi was accompanied by
\nDirector General for Islamic and Haj Affairs Amidhan and Minister
\nof Information Harmoko, who acted as a haj leader of the
\nIndonesian contingent in 1994.<\/p>\n
According to Tarmizi, the private agency rate for the haj
\npilgrimage, known as ONH Plus, will cost between US$6,000 and
\n$9,000.<\/p>\n
Elaborating on the expenses, Amidhan said that -- per pilgrim
\n-- air fares would cost Rp 3,920,200, pocket money while in Saudi
\nArabia Rp 924,000, housing Rp 1,188,880, general services in
\nSaudi Arabia Rp 322,784 and pocket money while still here Rp
\n50,000.<\/p>\n
Transportation in Saudi Arabia would cost Rp 280,896,
\nconsumption at the airport Rp 277,200 and airport tax Rp 5,000.<\/p>\n
An additional Rp 440,000 would also be allocated for various
\nadministrative, immigration, medical and other services provided
\nto the pilgrims, he said.<\/p>\n
Amidhan estimates that the average amount of time spent in
\nSaudi Arabia by pilgrims in 1996 would be 30 days, or six days
\nshorter than that spent in 1995.<\/p>\n
He said that, with a shorter length of stay, the total amount
\nof pocket money needed by the pilgrims would only be 1,500 Saudi
\nreals, as compared with this year's total of 1,700 reals.<\/p>\n
Amidhan said the reduction in the length of stay was aimed at
\npreventing the pilgrims from doing too much shopping while in
\nSaudi Arabia.<\/p>\n
Later yesterday, Tarmizi also inducted Ahmad Ghozali as the
\nMinistry of Religious Affair's new secretary-general. Ghozali
\nreplaces Zarkowie Soejoeti, who is retiring.<\/p>\n
Before assuming his current position Ghozali was the
\nministry's inspector general.(mds)<\/p>",
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