Saudi Arabia imposes levy on frequent Nigerian pilgrims
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the chairman who was represented by the national commissioner in charge of operations alhaji abdullahi sale said that the campaign was organized to intimate the nations prospective pilgrims1 saudi arbaian authorities have imposed a compulsory levy equivalent of n163000 on all prospective nigerian pilgrims who have performed hajj or umrah in the last two years1 mr. abdullahi mukhtar the chairman of the national hajj commission nahcon disclosed that all prospective nigerian pilgrims all affected prospective pilgrims would have to pay the compulsory levy1 this the chairman said the pilgrims are to pay sr2000 an equivalent to n163000 which was exclusive of the substantive fare for the 2018 hajj that is yet to be announced by the federal government1 mukhtar made the disclosure in sokoto on saturday at a sensitization campaign organized by the commission for prospective pilgrims and officials of the pilgrims welfare agencies pwa from sokoto kebbi and zamfara states1 according to him the levy was announced by the saudi arabian hajj ministry and it became fully effective during the 2017 hajj exercise1 the saudi arabian authorities also introduced a five per cent value added tax on all services excluding food items and medical drugs1 this is on the need to ensure the early completion of their hajj fares on or before the end of march 2018 as it would enable the commission and the various pwa to make early and efficient arrangements1 he said that the event was also organized to intimate the prospective pilgrims on the introduction of biometric data capturing of all umrah and hajj pilgrims by the saudi arabian authorities1 he added that three centres have been opened in kano lagos and abuja for the data capturing although efforts were on by the commission to ensure the increment of the centres1 the chairman forum of pwa in nigeria alhaji abubakar sarkin fawa danbo commended the commission for organizing the event saying that various pwas jn nigeria were working round the clock to ensure the success of the 2018 hajj exercise1 alhaji muntari maigona pwa chairman sokoto state called on the commission to allow the various states pilgrims welfare agencies to deploy medical doctors and other medical staff to accompany the pilgrims during the hajj exercise1 maigona further lamented that the existing arrangements on pilgrims feeding should be improved while the companies in charged of such gesture should be increased. nan1