Holiday Ayo - The Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) proposes that the Cost of Organizing the Hajj Pilgrimage (BPIH) increase to IDR 105,095,032.34 per congregation in 2024.

When compared with this year, BPIH's proposal is an increase of IDR 15 million from the previous year's determination, namely IDR 90 million per congregation.

“For the implementation of the Hajj pilgrimage in 1445 Hijriah/2024 AD, the government is proposing an average BPIH per pilgrim of IDR 105,095,032," said Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas at a joint working meeting with Commission VIII DPR RI in Jakarta, Monday (13/11), quoted from Antara. 

BPIH itself is the total cost that must be incurred for the implementation of the Hajj pilgrimage and is managed by the government every Hajj season. 

This fund is a combination of congregational money and government subsidies. 

The BPIH includes components of flight costs, accommodation, meals, transportation, Armuzna, embarkation/disbarkation, immigration, travel documents, and living costs. 

So how do the costs of Hajj this year and next year compare? As of last February, the Ministry of Religion and Commission VII DPR RI officially agreed on a total BPIH of IDR 90,263,104 per congregation. 

Of the total BPIH, 55.3 percent or IDR 49,812,700 is charged directly to Hajj pilgrims or what is known as Hajj travel costs (Bipih). 

Meanwhile, the remaining 44.7 percent is covered by benefit funds amounting to IDR 40,237,937.

For this year, the Working Committee (Panja) of Commission VII DPR RI specified that the Bipih amounted to IDR 49.8 million, which includes flight costs, living costs and part of the costs of community service packages.

Then, the cost of the benefit value of IDR 40.2 million is used for accommodation, food, transportation, services in Armuzna, protection, travel documents and costs for organizing the Hajj pilgrimage in the country.

“The overall value of the benefits used is IDR 8,090,360,327,213.67," said Marwan.

For next year, Yaqut explained that BPIH was prepared with the assumption that the US dollar exchange rate against the rupiah was IDR 16 thousand. 

Meanwhile, the assumed SAR exchange rate against the rupiah is IDR 4,266. He said the BPIH component formulation policy was taken to balance the burden on the congregation with the sustainability of the benefit value in the future. 

“The Bipih (hajj travel costs) charges must maintain the principle of istithaah and liquidity in organizing the hajj in the following years," he said. 

Even though next year's BPIH proposal is bigger than this year's, the BPIH formulation and the value of the benefits for organizing the 2024 Hajj have not yet been decided. 

Chairman of Commission VIII DPR RI Ashabul Kahfi said that the proposed BPIH size would be initial material for further discussion in BPIH Panja meetings.