Tuesday, May 31, 2022

After two years of interruption of the Hajj due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the pilgrimage resumes this year. This is undoubtedly good news for the Muslim faithful committed to the fifth pillar of Islam. But, the developments of this news are becoming a hard pill to swallow for some. The trip to the Holy Land is becoming increasingly expensive.

Faced with the price increase in 2022, some Muslim faithful are expressing their discontent. This is the case of the Islamic Cultural Association which is seeking the intervention of the President of the Republic Paul Biya to enable them to travel.

Indeed, “the price of Hajj 2022 is three million two hundred and ninety-four thousand (3 294 000) FCFA,” says the Minister of Territorial Administration Minat. This price presents an increase of about 765,000 compared to the price of Hajj 2019.

Paul Atanga Nji, chairman of the National Hajj Commission, said that this price has increased due to three main exogenous factors: the high dollar rate, the significant increase in the price of Moassassa services (more than 300%) decided by the Saudi authorities and the VAT which has increased from 5 to 15% in Saudi Arabia.

In addition, the Minat, after having given the breakdown of this price of Hajj 2022, “informs all interested persons that registrations with the Hajj single window are open and end imperatively on 08 June 2022″. And for the trip, one of the constraints imposed on pilgrims is the possession of an up-to-date vaccination booklet.

As a reminder, according to a communiqué dated 30 April 2019, the Minat informs the Cameroonian Muslim community that the price of the 2019 Hajj was  2, 529 million FCFA. Compared to the 2018 price, the 2019 price showed an increase of 280,000 FCFA. To explain this increase, the Minat mentions two factors, including the high cost of the dollar and a significant increase in the price of bus transport decided by the Saudi authorities.

Source: https://www.journalducameroun.com/en/cameroon-muslims-grumble-against-minat-boss-paul-atanga-nji-for-3200000-fcfa-fee-paid-per-pilgrim-for-hajj-2022/