Govt raises haj pilgrimage price 300 percent for 1999

JAKARTA (JP): The government has set next year's haj pilgrimage fee at Rp 27.7 million, about three times higher than last year's price.

Minister of Information Muhammad Yunus announced the new rate here yesterday following a four-hour Cabinet meeting on people's welfare.

The main reason for the huge increase is the sharp depreciation of the rupiah. It is estimated that the haj fare would cover the estimated cost of US$2,737 for the pilgrimage.

Last year's fee of Rp 8.8 million was set when the rupiah was worth about Rp 3,000 to the greenback. Since then the rupiah has plunged to a current rate of about Rp 13,000 to the dollar.

The holy pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia -- a must for all able- bodied Moslems who can afford it -- will take place in April.

The fee covers return airfares and accommodation and meals in Mecca and Medina.

The first batch of departures is expected on Feb. 24.

Separately, Minister of Religious Affairs Malik Fajar expressed confidence that Indonesia would fulfill its haj quota of about 204,000 people despite the tremendous fare increase.

"In some provinces like Aceh and West Nusa Tenggara, the number of pilgrims who have registered has even surpassed the (provincial) quota," Fajar said yesterday, adding that some 4,000 had already registered for the coming haj pilgrimage from the two provinces.

One reason for this could be predictions that 1999 will be a "great" haj year, which occurs about every four years based on the Islamic Hijriah calender.

Malik said the government was also open to the idea of transporting pilgrims to Saudi Arabia and back in ships instead of airplanes.

However, he remarked that the government was still assessing the idea and that it would not be used for the coming pilgrimage.

"Even if this is feasible we will not do it in the coming pilgrimage, maybe later," he said.

He pointed out that the cost of air and sea travel were comparatively similar.

Air travel may be more expensive but it is much quicker, while traveling by ship takes much longer, he said. (prb)