?$300 hike due to new policies at Hajj Conference
Ghanaian Muslim pilgrims travelling for the holy pilgrimage to Mecca this year will now have to pay an extra $300 on the original fare of $3,100.
Organizers of this year?s Hajj have been compelled to review fares in line with a new Hajj policy agreed on at a just ended Hajj conference in Saudi Arabia.
The increase in fares was necessitated by a new policy approved at the Hajj Conference held last week, which among others is intended to bring some relief to prospective pilgrims, particularly from Ghana.
Confirming the increase in fare, a source close to the Sole Supervisor of this year?s Hajj, Alhaji Rauf Tanko, who is attending the 2013 Hajj conference together with a Minister of State at the Presidency and the Member of parliament for North Ayawaso, Dr. Mustapha Ahmed, representatives of Hajj agents and medical brigade in Saudi Arabia noted that, under the new arrangement, prospective pilgrims will be provided with special mattresses and feeding at Mina, plus the cost of freight of a Jerri can of Zamzam water. Also, airport taxes in Saudi Arabia will from this year go up by about $50.
?For the first time in the organization of Hajj, the Saudi Authorities have engaged the services of catering companies who will partner with local caterers from Ghana and other countries to cook for the pilgrims? this means, nobody will be allowed to cook on his/her own at Mina, these are some of the things that have led to the increase in fares by 300 dollars,? the source added.
Another novelty that has been introduced by the Saudi authorities, the source noted, is the provision of Zanzam (holy water) in Jerri cans for pilgrims, adding ?this time round, instead of pilgrims carrying their own bottles or gallons to fetch the holy water, the authorities have made arrangement for that; so as soon as a pilgrim returns to Accra from Hajj, he/she would just have to pick one Jerrican of Zanzam from the Hajj Village.?
According to the source, the cost of the package for this year, which is now US$3, 400 includes; air fare to Jeddah and back, airport taxes, accommodation in Madina and Mecca. Others are health care and insurance, and ground transportation from Medina to Mecca-Mina and Arafat, then back to Mina, Mecca and finally to Jeddah for the return journey back home.
Even though, Egypt Air which has won the bid to provide charter flights for the Ghanaian pilgrims have also threatened to increase their fares by another 200 dollars which would have further increase the fares, a source at the presidency told The Al-Hajj that, the government is expected to intervene to work out a figure that will be affordable to all.
Meanwhile, a source at the seat of government has reliably informed The Al-Hajj that the government will soon lay a bill in Parliament, which when passed will pave way for the setting up of a permanent Pilgrimage Board that will oversee the organization of the holy pilgrimages from next year.
Hajj operations in Ghana over the past years, particularly under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) regime was bedeviled with avoidable challenges to the detriment of many would-be pilgrims and their families, a development that was substantially reduced under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.
Surprisingly, unlike the NPP administration, the NDC government succeeded in organizing a relatively hitches free pilgrimages since it assumed power in 2009; an enviable milestone that has made some section of the media, which were vociferous and vibrant in bringing to the notice of Ghanaians the yearly ordeal of Muslims pilgrims hang their pens and fold their writing pads because under the ruling NDC government, there was nothing negative to write about.
The ruling government under the able leadership of His Excellency President John Mahama put up a new Hajj village in Accra and gave a major facelift to the Tamale airports with modern facilities of convenience such as Air Conditioned tents or canopies, clinic, descent places of convenience and ablution, offices for Immigration and the National Hajj Committee.
Source:?By A. A. Yayra (The Al-Hajj)
