Same old incompetence

Same old incompetence

From Media Indonesia

The official haj management in 1996 is still beset with the
same problems as it was last year. Meanwhile the private haj
affair bureaus handle the matter smoothly, conveniently and
peacefully. Some companies are even planning to go public. It
should be noted that haj pilgrimage projects involve thousands of
billions of rupiah. Therefore it is necessary to review the
management of the project.

The would-be haj want it to be managed professionally. Because
of its sheer magnitude, haj management cannot be handled by the
Ministry of Religious Affairs alone. It is high time the ministry
established a state-owned company (BUMN) with the special task of
managing the haj pilgrimage project.

Banks collect haj saving funds from society. And the Ministry
of Health deals with health matters, while state-owned Garuda
Airlines manage the transportation business and the Ministries of
Justice and Foreign Affairs are responsible for the visa
procedures. Then what is left for the Ministry of Religious
Affairs? The major task of this ministry concerns the mental and
spiritual aspects of the haj.

In this way the Ministry of Religious Affairs can be relieved
from such chores as visa arrangements, accommodation, ticketing,
catering, etc. Also the would-be haj can expect better services
from professional agents free from extortion and bribery.

SITI DJUFAINAH

Tangerang, West Java