President Proposes 52:48 Ratio, Urges Hajj Costs Not to Burden Pilgrims

President Prabowo Subianto has requested that the government ensure the costs borne by Hajj pilgrims remain affordable amidst changes to various components of the pilgrimage’s organisational expenses. The President also encouraged the improvement of Hajj financial management through forensic audits.

These directives were delivered by the President when receiving the Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Mochamad Irfan Yusuf (Gus Irfan), and the Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on Monday (28/09/2026).

Gus Irfan stated that the President emphasised that changes to the Hajj organisational cost components must not result in an excessive burden on pilgrims. “In principle, the President said that it must not become a burden to the pilgrims. Therefore, we are looking for a formulation of how, even with changes in the figures, the pilgrims do not face a significant increase in costs,” Gus Irfan said in a press statement on Monday (28/09/2026).

One of the formulations being discussed is the restructuring of the composition between the Hajj Pilgrimage Cost (Bipih), paid directly by pilgrims, and the ‘nilai manfaat’ (benefit value). The President suggested a composition of approximately 52 per cent Bipih and 48 per cent benefit value. This composition is one of the options being discussed by the government to ensure that the costs paid directly by pilgrims do not increase significantly.

In addition to financing issues, the President also expressed concern regarding the improvement of the Hajj and Umrah ecosystem. The government has been asked to cleanse the administration of Hajj and Umrah of cartel practices, violations, and fraud that have the potential to disadvantage pilgrims.

Gus Irfan noted that the President appreciated the steps taken by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (Kemenhaj) to reform this ecosystem. “He very much appreciates our efforts to clean the Hajj and Umrah ecosystem from cartels, violations, and fraud, all of which ultimately lead to losses for prospective pilgrims,” said Gus Irfan.

According to him, the President even requested that practices harming pilgrims be dealt with firmly. “His words were, ‘sweep away all the cartels and mafias’ related to Hajj and Umrah,” he added.