The recent announcement by the Hajj Board of the 2026 (1447 AH) cost of undertaking the annual muslim pilgrimage to Makkah in Saudi Arabia at GH¢60,000 was received with joy and relief, on the grounds that it was a reduction from the 2025 price of GH¢62,000.
While I commend President John Dramani Mahama for his unflinching commitment to the welfare of the Ummah, demonstrated by the huge reduction—in line with realistic pricing—of the 2025 hajj cost to $4,130 (GH¢62,000) from the previously arbitrary and unreasonably high price of $6,500 (GH¢75,000), the fact remains that the GH¢60,000 set for the 2026 Hajj is, in real terms, an increase and not a reduction.
Understandably, fixing and quoting the Hajj price in dollars is the right and fair thing to do, as over 90 per cent of the operational cost of the Hajj is either in dollars or indexed to it.
The current price of GH¢60,000 for the 2026 Hajj, at an average exchange rate of GH¢12 to the dollar, is $5,000, which is an increase of 21 per cent on the 2025 price of $4,130.
Therefore, maintaining the same price of $4,130 charged for 2025 should have brought the cost in Ghana cedis to GH¢49,560 at the current average exchange rate of GH¢12 to the dollar.
The government’s commendable success in improving macroeconomic indicators by reducing inflation to a single digit and strengthening the performance of the local currency should inure to the benefit of prospective pilgrims, just as it does to the general Ghanaian citizenry, who are beneficiaries of the President’s reset agenda.
It is my considered view that Hajj pilgrims should not be excluded from gains made through the government’s spectacular performance in strengthening the local currency, and that they have an inalienable right to benefit from the success story of the President’s reset agenda.
The Hajj Board must come clean on their pricing model and make it clear whether or not they are pricing in dollar or Ghana cedis to build trust and confidence in their operations, in line with the President’s reset agenda.
The President’s recent admonition to the members of the Hajj Board, urging them not to use their positions to exploit the pilgrims, is worth commending, and the members should take it seriously.
The government, as the appointing authority with ultimate responsibility for its operations, should direct the Hajj Board to review the pricing model next year to ensure transparency and fairness, and to avoid arbitrary pricing.
Hamza Alhassan,
E-mail: hamza73law@gmail.com
