REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Coordinating Minister for Economy Darmin Nasution said the profit is higher if hajj pilgrimage fund is invested in infrastructure projects than in other sectors.

The interest could be as high as 12-13 percent if the fund of hajj pilgrimage is invested in infrastructure projects, Darmin said after attending an economic meeting here on Tuesday.

"Hajj pilgrimage fund is a long term fund. If it was invested as deposit in bank the interest is only around 5-6 percent a year. The profit would be much higher if it is invested in infrastructure projects," he added. 

The former Governor of the Central Bank also said a government bond carries a higher yield than deposit.

He said Malaysia has invested hajj pilgrimage fund in infrastructure sector and in stock market over the past 30 years.

Earlier President Joko Widodo has asked the manager of hajj pilgrimage fund to invest the big fund in government's infrastructure projects, but the request has triggered controversy. 

A number of lawmakers from the Commission VIII of the House of Representatives said the president's request is not right as the fund should be used for the interest of hajj pilgrims.

If the fund has to be used to finance infrastructure projects, the infrastructure should facilitate hajj pilgrimage, a lawmaker said. 

They said government's infrastructure projects should be financed with funds from the state budget.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani said hajj pilgrimage funds valued tens of trillions of rupiahs, should be carefully managed, transparent and accountable, prudent, good governance and free from corruption

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