Government to form institution providing pilgrimage services

The Islamic Ministry has said it will form the “Maldivian People’s Hajj Fund”, an institution that will work to provide affordable pilgrimage services.

In a press conference Islamic Affairs Minister Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed said the purpose of the institution was to provide people with the opportunity to go on the hajj, by paying a smaller amount of money.

He also added that work was under way in preparing the documents needed to be presented to the cabinet to discuss the matter.

Shaheem added that he had already discussed about the proposal with President Mohamed Waheed Hassan and Finance Minister Abdulla Jihad.

Shaheem further said that even if a person deposited money to the fund, it would not necessarily mean that he would be granted with a placement from the quota of pilgrimages that the Maldives receives from Saudi Arabia.

According to the Minister, the institution would be formed on the principles of a similar institution set up in Malaysia.