The Ministry of Religious Affairs’ recent decision to introduce an installment-based payment option for Hajj charges has resulted in a record increase in applications this year. Official documents reveal that 4,774 Hajj applications were submitted within the first two days, a significant rise from the 1,300 applications received during the same period last year.
Of the total applications, 4,734 were submitted under the regular government Hajj scheme, while banks received 40 applications through the sponsorship scheme. The regular scheme requires an initial payment of Rs. 200,000 with the application. Successful applicants, selected through a lottery, must pay the remaining Rs. 400,000 by February 10.
The government has set December 3 as the deadline for submitting applications under the regular scheme. If the number of applications exceeds the available quota, a lottery will be held on December 6. The sponsorship scheme, on the other hand, operates on a first-come, first-served basis and requires full payment in dollars upfront.
Last year, the Ministry extended the application deadline by 10 days due to low participation. However, the introduction of the installment payment option has significantly increased interest, indicating a positive response from prospective pilgrims.Despite a direct tax gap of Rs. 1,961 billion, only Rs. 1,655 billion of the Rs. 2,833 billion owed in corporate income tax was collected, resulting in a 41 percent shortfall.
