REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Indonesian government and the House of Representatives (DPR) have agreed to reduce the 2016 Hajj Pilgrimage Fund or BPIH by US$132 to US$2,585 on average, down from US$2,717 last year.

"The DPR's Commission VIII and the government have agreed on BPIH US$2,585 on average or around Rp34,641,304," Commission VIII Chairman Saleh Partaonan Daulay said on Saturday.

Saleh said the decline in BPIH constitutes the seriousness and commitment of the DPR towards improving the quality of services and at the same time to decrease the burden of the country's Hajj pilgrims.

According to him, the decision to cut the allowance is based on new policies that will be implemented for the Hajj Pilgrimage fund this year.

One of the policies that has caused a major impact on the payment is that pilgrims should pay only in rupiah currency and the riyal (in Saudi currency) instead of the U.S. dollar as was the case last year.

A pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, known as the Hajj, is one of the five pillars of Islam. Every Muslim must make the Hajj Pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime if they are able to and can afford it.

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