Pilgrims protest levy<\/p>\n
BANYUMAS, Central Java: As many as 720 people who have just
\nreturned from a haj pilgrimage lodged a protest Wednesday against
\nthe regent and the head of the Prosecutors' Office over a levy of
\nRp 200,000 that each had to pay before leaving for Mecca.<\/p>\n
One of the complainants, Sidik Fauzan, said he had sent a
\nletter to Banyumas Regent Djoko Sudantoko asking where the extra
\nRp 200,000 had gone to.<\/p>\n
He said that the imposition of the additional Rp 200,000 was a
\nburden to prospective pilgrims, but said they had no choice but
\nto pay the additional fund. \"Or we might have failed to go to the
\nHoly Land,\" Sidik said.<\/p>\n
He said that each prospective pilgrim had paid an additional
\nRp 200,000, meaning that the regency committee had collected at
\nleast Rp 144 million.<\/p>\n
The official pilgrimage cost this year is Rp 7,551,000 per
\nperson.<\/p>\n
An official from the Ministry of Religious Affairs office said
\nthat an agreement had been reached between the pilgrims and the
\ncommittee on the additional cost before the pilgrims flew to
\nMecca. (wah\/sur)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pilgrims-protest-levy-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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