Hajj pilgrims are seen doing the jumrah (stonr throwing) during the Hajj procession by maintaining distance or social distancing due to the Covid-19 pandemic. / Reuters
Acting Director-General of Hajj and Umrah at the Religious Affairs Ministry, Khoirizi H Dasir, said that the cost of hajj pilgrimage (BPIH) in 2021 has not been decided yet. “No decision yet. This year’s hajj cost is still being discussed intensively by the ministry’s working committee and the DPR (House of Representatives) Commission VIII,” said Khoiziri in a written statement, Wednesday, April 7, 2021.
According to him, the discussion of hajj pilgrimage cost is entering the preparation and mitigation of hajj implementation during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The discussion, he added, is still waiting for official information about the hajj quota from the Saudi Arabia government. Thus, it is carried with the assumptions of quotas based on the formulated scenarios.
“Because of no certainty on the quota yet, discussion on the hajj cost is based on assumptions, such as 30 percent, 25 percent, 20 percent, and up to 5 percent,” Khoirizi explained.
When asked about the cost hike, he said that there was a possibility. There are at least three factors that influence it; the increase in the dollar exchange rate, the increase in taxes from 5 percent to 15 percent, and the mandatory implementation of health protocols.
“Hajj pilgrimage during the pandemic requires [would-be pilgrims to undergo] swab tests, maintain the distance [that results in] the limited capacity of rooms, undergo quarantine, and so on. Those will surely affect the hajj cost,” said Khoirizi.
