President John Dramani Mahama has pledged a significant reduction in Hajj fares for Ghanaian pilgrims next year, should the cedi continue its current trajectory and ongoing talks with Saudi officials yield results.
Speaking at the Eid ul Adha celebrations in Accra on Friday, 6 June, President Mahama acknowledged the high costs Muslim families have borne in undertaking this year’s pilgrimage, despite earlier government interventions to cushion expenses.
“This year, despite efforts, the cost remained high even though we cut it,” he told the congregation. “But I want to assure you, we are working closely with the relevant agencies and our Saudi counterparts… If Allah accepts our supplications and the cedi continues to show the recent strength that it has shown, I am optimistic that next year we will see a very significant drop in the Hajj fare.”
According to the president, current exchange rates would have seen Hajj fares hover around GHS45,000, a substantial decrease from this year’s fees, which have drawn criticism from some quarters of the Muslim community.
In a further gesture towards the Muslim population, Prez. Mahama also announced plans to formalise Eid ul Fitr as a statutory public holiday. A bill to this effect, he said, has already been drafted and will soon be laid before Parliament.
“It means that it will be a law and no longer be declared by executive instrument,” he explained, drawing cheers from the crowd.
The announcement was welcomed by many attendees, who viewed the gesture as a long-overdue recognition of the significance of the Muslim festival in Ghana’s religious calendar.
