House Commission VIII Flags Potential 2027 Hajj Cost Increase, Cites Rupiah Exchange Rate

Chairman of Commission VIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Marwan Dasopang, has stated that there is a potential for the cost of organising the Hajj pilgrimage to increase in 2027. He made the statement in response to the current geopolitical situation and the weakening rupiah exchange rate. “I don’t think it will go down. It is likely to go up if the calculation method is the same as last year. The formulation method for setting the budget, the items that are calculated, if it is done that way, I think it will still go up,” Marwan said at the parliamentary complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Monday. Marwan was responding to a question about whether next year’s Hajj costs could potentially decrease. Nevertheless, Marwan said his party would listen to considerations from the Ministry of Hajj regarding the potential increase in next year’s costs. He highlighted the issue of the rupiah exchange rate disparity and rising prices in Saudi Arabia. “But we will listen first tomorrow to the Ministry of Hajj’s proposal. If they propose a figure higher than last year, Commission VIII understands because, firstly, it is based on the very wide gap in our currency exchange rate. Then, there are also price increases in Saudi Arabia, plus taxes,” he added. Marwan said there is still an opportunity to maintain the Hajj costs with a new pattern. However, the National Awakening Party legislator assessed that if the calculation follows the discussions in the Hajj Financial Management Working Committee, it will be difficult to lower the costs. “But is it still possible to maintain them? I think so if we find a new pattern for the formulation. The new pattern depends on the Minister of Hajj’s ability to convince the parties in Saudi Arabia regarding the organisation,” Marwan said. “But if the calculation method is normal, like during our discussions in the Hajj Financial Management Working Committee, it seems difficult,” he continued. Marwan said that if Hajj costs were to decrease, services would likely become less than optimal. He touched on the potential for food to become less varied. “Even if it goes down, the services will go down. For example, the food will become less appealing, not tasting of the archipelago. That is not possible, it cannot happen,” he concluded.