Next year's haj pilgrimage fee set at Rp 7.2 million
Next year's haj pilgrimage fee set at Rp 7.2 million
JAKARTA (JP): The government announced yesterday that the 1996
official fee for the pilgrimage to Mecca will be Rp 7,290,000
(US$3,230), roughly 3 percent higher than this year's fee.
Announcing the new charge, Minister of Religious Affairs
Tarmizi Taher said that the increase had been introduced because
of an 11-point change in the position of the rupiah against the
United States and Saudi currencies.
This year's fee was Rp 7,070,000.
Tarmizi said that the 1996 quota for Indonesian pilgrims is
195,000 people.
To manage the enormous number of people going on the haj
pilgrimage to Mecca, the Saudi government sets a quota of one for
every 1,000 people in each country.
According to Tarmizi, because of this year's large number of
registrants for the pilgrimage, more than 40,000 Indonesians are
already registered for next year's pilgrimage.
"Due to the fact that as many as 40,720 haj candidates from
last year's (1995) waiting list have agreed to perform the
pilgrimage in 1996, the number of registrants accepted through
government banks will only be 155,000," he said.
He added that registration and payment in full of the 1996 fee
begins on Sept. 1, estimating the quota will be filled within
two-months.
In making the announcement, Tarmizi was accompanied by
Director General for Islamic and Haj Affairs Amidhan and Minister
of Information Harmoko, who acted as a haj leader of the
Indonesian contingent in 1994.
According to Tarmizi, the private agency rate for the haj
pilgrimage, known as ONH Plus, will cost between US$6,000 and
$9,000.
Elaborating on the expenses, Amidhan said that -- per pilgrim
-- air fares would cost Rp 3,920,200, pocket money while in Saudi
Arabia Rp 924,000, housing Rp 1,188,880, general services in
Saudi Arabia Rp 322,784 and pocket money while still here Rp
50,000.
Transportation in Saudi Arabia would cost Rp 280,896,
consumption at the airport Rp 277,200 and airport tax Rp 5,000.
An additional Rp 440,000 would also be allocated for various
administrative, immigration, medical and other services provided
to the pilgrims, he said.
Amidhan estimates that the average amount of time spent in
Saudi Arabia by pilgrims in 1996 would be 30 days, or six days
shorter than that spent in 1995.
He said that, with a shorter length of stay, the total amount
of pocket money needed by the pilgrims would only be 1,500 Saudi
reals, as compared with this year's total of 1,700 reals.
Amidhan said the reduction in the length of stay was aimed at
preventing the pilgrims from doing too much shopping while in
Saudi Arabia.
Later yesterday, Tarmizi also inducted Ahmad Ghozali as the
Ministry of Religious Affair's new secretary-general. Ghozali
replaces Zarkowie Soejoeti, who is retiring.
Before assuming his current position Ghozali was the
ministry's inspector general.(mds)