A parliamentary panel on Wednesday proposed the government to restore the Hajj subsidy or exempt pilgrims from taxes, as huge increase of 56 percent in the Hajj expenditure 2019 is not acceptable to the poor pilgrims. The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Inter-Faith Harmony informed the committee that the cost of Hajj 2019 is Rs 436,975 for northern airports and Rs 426,975 for southern airports, whereas it was Rs 280,000 and 270,000 respectively for Hajj 2018.
The ministry informed that the rise in the Hajj cost was due to elimination of the subsidy, which was Rs 42,624. The ministry informed that government did not like to spend the tax money of 220 million Pakistani people on 0.107 million Pilgrims, without the will of the general public.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Inter-Faith Harmony explained that some of the increase was beyond its control. For example, depreciation of rupee and imposition of Value Added Tax (VAT) by Saudi government have increased the nominal cost of Hajj, which was beyond its control.
The ministry further informed that in terms of Saudi riyal, the travel cost of the Hajj has been decreased. The committee observed that subsidy was only 10 percent of the total Hajj expenditures, whereas the Hajj expenditure has been increased by 56 percent. Similarly, the airfare has been increased by 16 percent for northern airports and 17 percent for southern airports and the cost of Hajj, other than airfare, has been increased by about 74 percent. In this regard if 10 percent subsidy is excluded, even then the raise in this expenditure is 64 percent.
The committee appreciated the Hajj arrangements during the previous years and directed that at least previous arrangements should continue. The committee observed that the matter of subsidy was referred to the Council of Islamic Ideology which decided that as per Islamic teachings, the subsidy is permissible. However, the government did not allow the subsidy. The committee directed that the government should restore the subsidy or receive no tax from the pilgrims. However, E-Visa and Road to Makkah policies are commendable, the committee said. The meeting of the committee was held here at the Parliament House, which was presided over by its Chairman Asad Mehmood.
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