Mecca (ANTARA) – The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah is currently planning the Hajj pilgrimage for 2027 and reviewing the framework for 2028, as an early step to anticipate various operational and financial challenges.The Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Mochamad Irfan Yusuf, explained that rising aviation fuel (avtur) prices are a current cross-sector concern, given their direct effect on Hajj costs.”We have begun planning for (Hajj) 2027 and 2028. We have maximized budget efficiency in various areas. However, given the challenge of avtur prices, we are currently exploring various possible best-fit formulas,” he remarked on Sunday.In developing this long-term financial policy, his office will continue to coordinate closely with the Hajj Financial Management Agency (BPKH) and the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI).According to Yusuf, financial readiness is a crucial factor, especially with the potential for additional Hajj quotas in the future.He noted that flight costs constitute one of the largest contributors to the total Hajj Pilgrimage Cost (BPIH) in Indonesia.Fluctuations in aviation fuel prices on the global market, coupled with currency exchange rate dynamics, will automatically have a direct impact on the costs incurred, he continued.Without early mitigation, spikes in avtur prices have the potential to significantly increase the Hajj Pilgrimage Cost (Bipih), which is directly borne by prospective pilgrims.In the national Hajj ecosystem, the BPKH and the DPR RI play a vital role in determining the financing structure.The BPKH is responsible for managing pilgrims' initial deposit funds to generate a benefit value (subsidy) used to cover the difference between the actual cost of the Hajj and the costs paid by pilgrims.Meanwhile, DPR RI holds the authority to discuss and approve the percentage distribution of these costs.Therefore, close inter-agency coordination is essential to ensure that decisions do not harm pilgrims or undermine the sustainability of the Hajj fund.The ministry's efforts to design mitigation and operational efficiency measures in advance for the 2027 and 2028 projections are also inseparable from Indonesia's status as the world’s largest Hajj-sending country.Long-term financial planning is essential to secure competitive airline and accommodation contracts in Saudi Arabia and to maintain the sustainability of the Hajj fund, resulting in continuous subsidy benefits for millions of pilgrims on the waiting list.