The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has announced government’s plans to provide food and transportation to Ghanaian pilgrims who travel to Mecca.

The previous Hajj Board left a chunk of debt totaling about 23 million cedis on the neck of the current administration after funding air tickets of some pilgrims over the years.

Even though government is struggling to pay off the debt, Dr. Bawumia said it is imperative to assist pilgrims ease their difficulty while in Mecca .

“It is very stressful when you go on Hajj. Government is now planning to feed you three times a day when you go to Mecca. It is one surest way to make the pilgrimage smooth. Another plan by government is to provide a means of transportation when you reach Mecca. We have realized that transportation is a major challenge, so we will provide buses wherever you go when you are in Mecca. On many occasions, a lot of the pilgrims wait for long hours at Jeddah Airport for flight back home. Now while you wait we’ll provide you with food. We want to make it easy for pilgrims,” he told the Muslim community in Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo region as part of his working visit to the area.

The first batch of Muslims embarking on this year’s Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, will leave Ghana on August 10, 2017.

The National Hajj Board has said a total of six flights will fly directly from the Northern Regional capital, Tamale, to Saudi Arabia.

The board has also started publishing the names of Muslims who will be participating in this year’s exercise to minimize the challenges associated with the annual event.