Jakarta, 8 February 2019. Hajj pilgrimage is a requirement for Muslims who can afford to do so. As of January 2019, there are more than 4 million Hajj pilgrim candidates on the waiting list with varying wait time. The number of Hajj pilgrims in Indonesia is still relatively low, considering the total population of Indonesia is 260 million, in which 87% of them are Muslims. One of the challenges faced in preparing for the pilgrimage is the financial planning aspect, which has yet to become a priority.
“We see that this initiative to educate on early financial planning through Hajj savings account started to bring positive results. We expect this trend to continue as an effort to support Islamic banking, for either Bank Danamon or the industry as a whole. Indonesians, particularly its Muslim population, are entitled to information on Hajj pilgrimage planning, so they can start saving without the need to set aside other priorities in their lives,” said Herry Hykmanto, Syariah Director, PT Bank Danamon Indonesia Tbk (Bank Danamon) during an event with customers of Danamon Syariah Hajj Savings Account and members of the media in Menara Bank Danamon, Jakarta.
Following its introduction in the last quarter of 2018, the Hajj Savings Account has shown a positive trend in helping customers to meet their needs, particularly in planning for Hajj pilgrimage. As of 31 January 2019, the number of Bank Danamon Hajj Savings Account has reached more than 1,700 accounts, consisting of Hajj Pilgrims Savings Account (RTJH) and Hajj Planning Savings Account (TRH).
“There should be a sustainable and consistent effort to raise the level of understanding or financial literacy among the public in order to strengthen the penetration of financial services in Indonesia. Bank Danamon is aware of this effort and continue to support the government’s financial inclusion initiatives through educational activities and appreciation events for the public,” Herry added.
During the same event, Bank Danamon announced a special appreciation for customers of Danamon Syariah who has the Hajj Savings Account, either RTJH or TRH. The appreciation is for the customers’ trust and enthusiasm in planning their finances for the Hajj pilgrimage, which can serve as inspiration for others. The customers who received appreciation in the form of free Hajj pilgrimage registration are as follows:
Codrat Dwi Nugroho (Ibu Dwi), born on 22 March 1966 is a housewife who likes to cook for her children. Ibu Dwi is known to actively remind others in her communities to start savings for future undertakings, including preparing for Hajj pilgrimage. She has also used other Danamon Syariah products for other act of worships, including Bisa Qurban iB Savings Account and Bisa Umrah iB Savings Account. Upon receiving information on the Danamon Syariah Hajj Planning Savings Account, Ibu Dwi immediately opened an account to plan for Hajj pilgrimage.
Muhamad Hadi Santoso, 44 year old works a police officer and has been a customer of Danamon Syariah Hajj Planning Savings Account since December 2018. “I have done many wrongdoings in my life, but God is so merciful that I continuously received as many blessings. Last year, I was given the opportunity to conduct my Umrah pilgrimage, and, this year, I received an opportunity to register for Hajj pilgrimage for free courtesy of Danamon Syariah,” said Muhamad.
Today’s event is a continuation of the financial literacy activity previously conducted by Bank Danamon, which featured Herry Hykmanto as Syariah Director of Bank Danamon and Financial Planning Expert, Prita Ghozie. The speakers during this particular session stressed the importance of Hajj pilgrimage as one of the financial goals for Muslims. As such, planning for Hajj pilgrimage need to be well thought-off and conducted as early as the receipt of first income. One of the best ways of planning is to set aside a small amount of income, including, through a savings product such as the Hajj Savings Account.