ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet also approved an additional financial requirement of $163 million of foreign exchange for Hajj 2023 at the request of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony.
The ECC meeting presided over by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday considered a summary submitted by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony on the utilisation of Hajj quota and its financing. The ministry presented details on the Hajj Policy-2023, the number of applications received under the Regular Hajj Scheme, unutilised quota under regular and sponsorship Hajj schemes and financial requirements.
The ECC, after discussion, approved the arrangement/modalities for Hajj Scheme-2023 and decided that all received applications under the Regular Hajj Scheme, ie, 72,869 would be declared successful without balloting. The ECC also approved an additional financial requirement of $163 million of foreign exchange for Hajj 2023.
Hajj 2023: Govt accepts all applications without balloting
The Ministry of Religious Affairs submitted in a revised summary to the ECC and contended that the ministry drafted Hajj Policy-2023 which is duly approved by the ECC on March 6, 2023, and Cabinet on 9th March 2023. Hajj Policy 2023 stipulates that 179,210 Hajj quota of Pakistan to be distributed between the government and Private Hajj Scheme at 50:50 ratios, and 50 per cent quota of each scheme would be filled through sponsorship for which Hajj dues will be remitted in the US dollar from abroad. The meeting was further informed that the sponsorship scheme was expected to secure $194 million out of the total required $284 million. The ECC and the Cabinet have approved that Finance Division will provide the remaining USS90 million foreign exchange cover for Hajj-2023.
The ministry called applications for both the regular and sponsorship scheme on March 16, 2023 and the last date for submission of applications was 31March. 2023. In Regular Scheme, 72,869 applications have been received against the 44,190 seats: while the last date for applying under the sponsorship scheme is extended till 7thApril 2023 and it is expected that upto 8,000 applications may be received against 44,190 seats
At the time of submission of Hajj Policy-2023 to the ECC and the Cabinet, it was assumed that the sponsorship scheme will be fully utilised and will secure $194 million.
Applicants of the sponsorship scheme are required to deposit their full Hajj dues in US dollars, out of which, airfare and service charges are paid in Pak rupees. In this way, the sponsorship scheme was expected to secure foreign exchange cover for the Regular Scheme also.
This ministry decided in consultation with the Finance Division that the remaining quota of the sponsorship scheme shall be shifted to the Regular Scheme and thereby all the applicants which are 72,869 (against 44,190 seats) be declared successful without balloting. Resultantly, 28,679 seats of the sponsorship scheme are required to be utilised through the Regular Scheme.
While giving a break up, the meeting was informed that the Religious Affairs Ministry needs net US$ 213 million for Hajj-2023, out of which, $50 million have already been released and the remaining $163 million are required from the Finance Division which is summarized as per Haji 3,003 million; (ii) US$ required for 44,190 Hujjaj of Regular Scheme $32.703 million;(iii) US$ required for hardship (1,000) and labour quota 3.90 million;(iv) additional US$ secured as airfare and service charges from the expected 10,000 applicants of sponsorship scheme 9.703million; (v) total US$ required for 44,190 quota of Regular Scheme (132.703 + 3.90-9.703) 126.90 million; (vi) US$ required for utilization of 28,679 quota of Sponsorship Scheme in Regular Scheme 86.10 million;(vii) The total US dollar required for both the Schemes are ($123+$90) US$213 million and US$ 350 million have already released by the Finance Division.
The meeting was informed that unutilized government Hajj quota after diversion of 28,679 applications to the Regular Scheme and collection of Sponsorship Scheme will be either given to Private Scheme or returned to KSA, in both cases it will not generate additional demand for foreign exchange. The ECC was requested by the ministry to approve the arrangements/modalities emerging from the circumstances explained and hence resulting in the new set of financial figures.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
Comments
Comments are closed.