CSO wants single exchange rate for Muslim, Christian pilgrims
The Independent Hajj Reporters has urged the Federal Government to fix a uniform exchange rate for Muslim and Christians pilgrims to address likely high cost of pilgrimage this year.
A statement by the civil society national coordinator Ibrahim Muhammed and publicity Secretary Abubakar Mahmoud, at the weekend pleaded with government to grant lower concessionary exchange rate for both Christians and Muslim pilgrimage.
“The 2018 hajj fare may be higher than the 2017 hajj due to current development in Saudi Arabia and the current exchange rate of N305/$1.
“The rise in 2017 hajj fare was due to the sharp decline in the value of Naira from N197/$1 paid by pilgrims in 2016 to 305/$1 in 2017,” the statement said.
“After 2017 hajj, the cost of electricity supply in Saudi Arabia has been jerked up three times, the price of petrol has been increased by almost 200%, a consumer that used to pay SR200 per month for modest power consumption for three air conditioning units, a few fluorescent tubes, iron, television, and a refrigerator are now paying SR600 per month,” the civil society that monitors hajj in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, said.
The statement said “Saudi Arabia has introduced 5% VAT on all services. Also, pilgrims who have performed hajj in the last five years and wish to do same in 2018 will have to pay additional SR2, 000 and a new accommodation policy that will not allow more than four pilgrims in a room - which will increase the costs of pilgrims’ accommodation.
“In view of the above development in Saudi Arabia, Indonesia has increased the cost of their 2018 hajj fare by RP 900,000 ($68), or by 2.85 percent. In Malaysia, Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) Malaysia has said that the cost of 2018 hajj has increased from RM19,550 in 2017 to RM22,450 in 2018, about 15 percent increase.”
The organisation said, in order to alleviate the burden of hardships on its citizens, the Malaysian government through Tambung Hajj said it would “subsidize the cost of 2018 hajj fare by RM400 million,” so that its pilgrims will pay the same amount they paid in 2017.
“This is why we are appealing to the Federal Government to consider the option of granting a concessionary exchange rate of N200/$1 in order to bring down the cost of 2018 hajj,” the statement said.