Photo: The current condition of Mecca is quiet due to the issue of the corona virus. (Doc: Makkah Live)
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Padjadjaran University Finance Professor Dian Masyita revealed that from the results of a simulation calculation, the funds borne by the pilgrims (Bipih) should be Rp. 40 million. This was conveyed during a meeting with opinions (RDP) with Commission VIII of the Indonesian People’s Representative Council (DPR RI).
This budget is much cheaper when compared to the proposal from the Ministry of Religion, namely Bipih in 2023 AD of IDR 69 million. Previously, when registering for Hajj, pilgrims had deposited a registration fee of Rp. 25 million, which means that with the Ministry of Religion’s proposal, pilgrims needed to make an additional payment of Rp. 44 million.
According to Dian’s calculations, prospective pilgrims only need to pay an additional Rp. 15 million for those who will go on pilgrimage this year. So, if you add up the registration fee of Rp. 25 million at the beginning, the total cost of the pilgrimage that is borne by the congregation is only around Rp. 40 million, it does not need to be up to Rp. 69 million. So that the congregation only needs to pay off Rp. 15 million, not up to Rp. 44 million.
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Deputy Chairman of Commission VIII DPR RI Marwan Dasopang said the amount of Hajj funds proposed by the Ministry of Religion was burdensome for the community. Considering the proportion of prospective haj pilgrims in 2023, the majority of whom are from the lower class, the repayment fee of IDR 44 million for 1 month will be difficult to do. According to him, this policy will pose a risk to the large number of pilgrims who cannot go on pilgrimage this year.
“With such a profile of the congregation (many of the lower class), we can be sure that most of the pilgrims who depart this year will definitely not be able to pay off Rp. 44 million. If we can agree with the government on the 14th it will be decided, the congregation only has 1 month to pay off ,” he explained in the RDP at Commission VIII, Thursday (9/2/2023).
At the DPR RI Commission VIII Haji Working Group meeting, Wednesday (8/2/2023) after trying to make efficiency, the cost of the pilgrimage was proposed to be IDR 96 million. So, pilgrims need to add another Rp. 44 million in repayment.
However, Professor Dian suggested that the increase in the settlement fee would not immediately jump to IDR 44 million. He proposed that the costs could increase slowly by Rp. 3 million each year.
With these calculations, if starting in 2023, the repayment fee is Rp. 15 million, then increases to Rp. 18 million in 2024, then to Rp. 22 million in 2025 and so on, then for 10 years the deposit for paying off the pilgrimage departure fee can be worth Rp. 44 million in year 2034.
Responding to this, Deputy Chairperson of Commission VIII DPR RI Marwan Dasopang representing members of the commission expressed his agreement with Dian’s calculations, which said that he did not have to increase the Hajj payment fund to Rp. 44 million.
“We still believe that from one side there can still be savings in prices from accommodation, consumption and other prices including flights. But on the other hand we suppress prices there, then we see that our haj financial position which is managed by BPKH does not need to be should be surprised at this year because basically we still have saving,” said Marwan.
He agreed that the current BPKH funds could still be sufficient to increase the amount of subsidies for this year’s hajj funds. He explained that there were funds managed by BPKH of Rp. 9.2 trillion in 2020 that were not used, then as much as Rp. 10.02 trillion would also be unused in 2021.
In addition, in 2022 there is a benefit value for the current year that is used in the amount of IDR 6.9 trillion and there is still some left over. Then, there are also funds sent to virtual accounts, where in 2020 it is Rp. 2.1 trillion, in 2021 it is Rp. 2.2 trillion, and in 2022 it is Rp. 2.2 trillion.
“This means that it is still safe, it doesn’t have to be charged to the congregation of up to IDR 44 million,” he concluded
(hsy/hsy)
