JAKARTA, 23 July 2008 - The department of Religious Affairs in Indonesia has formally set the price of the hajj pilgrimage for this year. The price will be some 450 US dollar higher than last year, which translates into a hike of 5 million Rupiah, or 20 percent. The hike in prices is mostly caused by the higher cost of flying because of high world oil prices. The Minister of Religious Affairs, Maftuh Basyuni, said that the price of the pilgrimage is decided upon by presidential decree.

"At this moment the paperwork for the decree is being arranged. It should be official in one or two days," Basyuni said at a meeting with the press at the main building of the department in Jakarta. According to Basyuni, the government is forced to raise prices in order to keep the prices of the pilgrimage realistic and rational. "It is not possible to cancel the pilgrimage," he said. Starting this year, the government will start to work with a different pricing system for the pilgrimage. The new system will be partially based on the actual distance people have to fly.

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