A scene during the press conference
The Ghana Hajj Board, yesterday, announced the 2018 Hajj fare and ushered in the pilgrimage season.
‘The Ghana Hajj Board has called you here to officially affirm this year’s Hajj fare of GH¢15000 as announced earlier by the Vice President Dr. Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia. The actual fare should have been GH¢19,500 but for the intervention and support of the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his government,’ the statement read.
The board, the statement pointed out, would accept as usual, direct payment into the Hajj Account with Unibank adding that some officials have been designated for such collection from prospective pilgrims.
The deadline for payments in line with Saudi policy, the board said, is 30th June 2018. ‘We therefore call on would be pilgrims as a matter of urgency to begin payments without delay for there shall be no extensions at all.’
Late payment, the statement pointed out, shall not be accepted this year adding that paid up pilgrims who meet the deadline shall be airlifted irrespective of whether the quota has been attained or not.
The board explained that rising costs, as a result of new policies in the Kingdom, informed the earlier announcement.
Fees for instance, they said, have been increased for bank transfers and the issuance of cheques.
‘The additional fees make matters even more difficult. Pilgrims performing Hajj more than once shall pay a penalty of GH¢3000 chargeable before visa acquisition,’ the board stated.
The cost of social amenity, the board said, is rising adding that VAT as a consumption tax of 5 percent as at January 1, 2018 aside utilities have shot up astronomically, and according to the board, ‘water is gone up by 130 percent, electricity 350 percent and pump price of fuel 150 percent.’
Feeding, the conference pointed out, shall be provided to pilgrims during their transit in Madina, 20 days stay in Mecca – which is now compulsory by the new rules – Mina Arafat and Mashair and on departure from the Jeddah Airport through authorized catering companies.
Regarding Welfare, the board announced that the welfare team would be categorized into three units of luggage, meet and assist and security adding that government has promised to provide a team of security personnel to provide specific services.
By A.R. Gomda