Jakarta (ANTARA) - State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir emphasized the commitment of SOEs to facilitating Indonesian Hajj pilgrimage departures by handling the cost of avtur as one of the major elements of the real cost of the Hajj.
The minister also spoke of having continued to coordinate with Minister of Religious Affairs, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, and the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) regarding this matter.
"I have also discussed the cost of the 2023 Hajj with Minister Qoumas and DPR. We are open to conducting further studies on Hajj implementation," he noted in a written statement received here on Wednesday.
The minister said that the avtur issue can have a significant impact on the cost of Hajj departure.
To this end, he highlighted that SOEs are fully committed to assisting in resolving the problem and helping pilgrims to perform Hajj in the Holy Land.
Moreover, the state-owned bank, PT Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI), is open to the provision of Hajj bracelets to pilgrims, he stated.
"BSI, which will help ease the procurement of Hajj bracelets, might become the sponsor. This is still in the stage of further discussion between us and the Ministry of Religious Affairs. I am sure, under the leadership of Minister Qoumas, his ministry will continue to provide the best service for our prospective pilgrims," Thohir remarked.
Earlier, state-owned airline Garuda Indonesia had ensured the operational readiness of Hajj flights while referring to the provisions and policies of the Government of Saudi Arabia.
Garuda Indonesia President Director Irfan Setiaputra echoed his commitment to providing air connectivity to Saudi Arabia for prospective Indonesian Hajj pilgrims through safe and comfortable flight services in this new normal era.
Garuda Indonesia ensures that the fleet used in conducting Hajj flight services is in an airworthy condition, including ensuring the consistency of implementing health protocols across all operational lines, Setiaputra stated.
Earlier, Minister Qoumas noted that the Indonesian Hajj quota for 2023 had been set at 221 thousand based on a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by the Indonesian and Saudi Arabian governments on January 9.
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