Govt offers variety of haj packages

JAKARTA (JP): In a major departure from tradition, the government has announced nine different rates for the haj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia in 2001.

The new rates range from Rp 19 million to Rp 23 million, compared to the single price of Rp 17.76 millions that all pilgrims paid this year.

The rate in 2001 will depend on where in Indonesia a pilgrim boards the plane and the type of accommodation chosen in Saudi Arabia and its distance from Mecca, the Ministry of Religious Affairs said on Wednesday.

For the first time, pilgrims will be able to choose to stay in a hotel rather than a tent.

The ministry organizes the departure and return of Indonesians for the haj pilgrimage each year, a major chore that was once likened to the mobilization of the U.S.-led international force during the Gulf War, at least in terms of logistics.

The new rates are divided into three zones depending on which designated airport pilgrims depart from.

The first zone is for departures from Aceh, Medan and Batam. The price of Package A from these departure zones is Rp 21.5 million (US$2,400), Package B is Rp 20.5 million and Package C costs Rp 19 million.

The second zone is for departures from Jakarta, Surakarta and Surabaya. Package A costs Rp 22 million, Package B Rp 21 million and Package C Rp 20 million.

The third zone is for departures from Balikpapan, Makassar, Maluku and Irian Jaya. Package A costs Rp 23 million, Package B Rp 22 million and Package C Rp 21 million.

The offer of different packages will put the government in direct competition with private tour operators which have run profitable businesses catering to the higher-end of the pilgrimage market.

"The rates were set based on the principle of justice, especially for their lodgings in Mecca during their stay and their transportation from Indonesia to Saudi Arabia," the director general for Islam and haj affairs, Taufiq Kamil, said in a statement. (prb)