Chairman of the Interim Hajj Taskforce Alhaji Collins Dauda has disclosed that the previous Hajj Board under the tenure of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration has left an outstanding debt of $5.4 million related to Hajj trips.
This debt is owed to service providers in Saudi Arabia including catering/feeding, airline, and accommodation amongst other services.
Speaking at a press conference at the Hajj Village in Accra on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, to announce the new Hajj fare and preparations, Alhaji Collins Dauda clarified that the debt was incurred despite a fare of ₵75,000 (equivalent to $6,250).
“The task force has discovered that the previous board left a debt of 5,409,526.66 United States dollars” Collins Dauda noted.
The Chairman of the Taskforce who is also Member of Parliament Afutifi South in providing a detailed breakdown of the figures said “The indebtedness and the debt is made up of the following; there’s a company that provides catering for us, for our programs in Mecca. We are indebted to them to the tune of 446,933 United States dollars. The airline that lifted our programs last year was indebted to them, to the tune of 4,429,260 United States dollars. I’m talking about flying us. And lastly, we are indebted to a company called Ajiwa which provides accommodation and kitchen service for our programs in Madina”.
However, Alhaji Collins Dauda indicated that an investigation will be conducted to ascertain the specific causes of the situation and to tackle other challenges before the Hajj pilgrimage processes begin.
Despite the debts inherited from the previous administration, the government has announced a fare reduction from ₵75,000 to ₵62,000, amounting to a 17.33 percent decrease.
This reduction is part of President John Mahama’s commitment to the Muslim community to make the sacred journey more affordable, enabling more individuals to participate.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Abdul-Hanan Adam
