… We are confident (that the additional quota can be utilized optimally) because there are many people who are interested (to become additional pilgrims).
JAKARTA (ANTARA) – The Ministry of Religious Affairs announced that the use of the additional eight thousand allocation for the 2023 Hajj pilgrimage, which was recently granted by the Saudi Arabian government, will soon be discussed in the House of Representatives (DPR).
Haj and Umrah director general of the ministry Hilman Latif said here on Wednesday that many issues should be coordinated with the council regarding the provision of additional quota.
Some of the issues are the availability of flights to carry pilgrims, the availability of air travel slots from the General Aviation Authority of Saudi Arabia (GACA), and the question of which pilgrims will be given priority. quota, he added.
„The minister (Yakut Solil Gomas) has instructed us to prepare as optimally as possible before we take any decision (on the use of additional allocations),” he said.
The additional quota is expected to reduce waiting times for prospective Hajj pilgrims in Indonesia. The ministry noted that the period has reached 47 years in many provinces.
Indonesia also received an additional allocation to enable the 2022 Hajj pilgrimage, but Latif said the government decided not to use it because there was too little time to prepare for the departure of additional pilgrims before the start of the pilgrimage season.
„So, this year, the minister has asked us to prepare (to serve additional pilgrims) and we are confident (about using the additional quota optimally) because there are many people who are interested (to become additional pilgrims),” he noted.
Meanwhile, Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Quomas ordered his teams to continue prioritizing the principle of fairness in providing Hajj services, especially in providing additional allocations.
He asked his teams to focus on areas with high numbers of prospective pilgrims and long waiting periods.
He added that quota distribution should also consider areas where most of the prospective Haj pilgrims have paid the Haj Pilgrimage Fee (BPIH) so that the additional quota can be optimally absorbed.
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