President John Dramani Mahama has announced bold plans to significantly reduce the cost of Hajj for Ghanaian pilgrims and formally institute an additional public holiday for Muslims.
Delivering his speech at this year’s Eid al-Adha celebrations held at the Black Star Square, Mahama acknowledged the financial strain many families endure in their quest to fulfill the religious obligation of Hajj.
He said that although his government had managed to reduce fares marginally this year, there’s room for far greater relief.
“I want to assure you that we are working closely with relevant agencies and our Saudi counterparts. If the current trend continues, I am optimistic that next year we will see a very significant drop in the Hajj fare,” Mahama declared.
The President added that fares could have been as low as GHS 45,000 under today’s conditions if travel had happened later in the season.
In a further commitment to Ghana’s Muslim community, Mahama also announced that government has drafted a bill to make Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, a statutory public holiday, no longer dependent on executive approval.
“Additionally, in response to the long-standing appeals from the Muslim community, I wish to announce that we have prepared a bill to designate the additional holiday of Eid al-Fitr as a public holiday, and this will soon be presented to Parliament. It means that it will be a law. It will no longer be by executive instruments.”
His remarks drew applause from the crowd, especially as he tied the announcements to a broader message of national unity, compassion, and inclusion.