Parliament: Additional Hajj Costs Must Be Covered by the State

Jakarta – The Chairman of the House of Representatives Commission VIII, Marwan Dasopang, has emphasised that the difference in the proposed additional Hajj flight costs must be covered by state finances and should not be borne by prospective Hajj pilgrims. Marwan called on the Ministry of Religious Affairs to conduct cross-ministerial and institutional coordination in accordance with legal provisions to ensure the use of state budget is accountable. “The government needs to carry out cross-ministerial and institutional coordination so that this financing scheme can be implemented accountably and in line with regulations,” he said during a Working Meeting with the Ministry of Religious Affairs in Senayan, Jakarta, on Tuesday. In that working meeting, one of the main points discussed was the proposed increase in flight costs due to the surge in avtur prices and exchange rate fluctuations. The total flight costs have jumped from Rp6.69 trillion to Rp8.46 trillion. This is triggered by a proposed increase from Garuda Indonesia of Rp974.8 billion and from Saudi Airlines of Rp802.8 billion. Marwan requested that the proposed additional costs be recalculated by the Ministry of Religious Affairs, considering that global oil price fluctuations remain highly dynamic. Therefore, in the next meeting, a detailed decision must be made on the actual amount of the flight cost increase. Meanwhile, the Minister of Religious Affairs, Mochamad Irfan Yusuf, explained that his side is coordinating with the Attorney General’s Office of the Republic of Indonesia to ensure the legality aspect of the cost increase. According to him, based on Law No. 14 of 2025, the flight cost component for pilgrims is sourced from the Hajj Worship Implementation Costs (BPIH), while the costs for kloter officials are sourced from the State Budget (APBN). “Regarding the flight cost increase proposed by the airlines, the Ministry of Religious Affairs is currently coordinating with the Attorney General’s Office and related parties to ensure the force majeure status and the legality of the funding source,” he said. The Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs, Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, stated that financially, the government is ready to cover the cost difference needed for the additional Hajj flights. However, he requires a legal cushion to avoid future issues. Referring to the regulations, the Hajj cost component is sourced from the Hajj Worship Implementation Costs (BPIH), which comes from funds managed by the Hajj Financial Management Agency (BPKH).