Surabaya. Indonesia is grappling with a shortage of religious marriage officiants, a pressing issue given the millions of wedding ceremonies held throughout the country each year.

Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas revealed that the country currently has only 9,054 licensed wedding officiants, far below the actual requirement of approximately 16,200.

"We are facing a crisis in the availability of wedding officiants, but efforts are underway to address this shortage," Yaqut stated during his visit to the city of Surabaya on Wednesday.

"Ideally, we should have around 16,000 officiants to meet the demand, as the number of wedding ceremonies already exceeds 2 million annually. The gap is significant, so we will be recruiting more officiants."

The minister said he is working closely with the Administrative and Bureaucratic Reforms Ministry to expedite the recruitment process and clarify the employment status of government-appointed wedding officiants.

According to him, wedding officiants should be recognized as state employees due to their pivotal role in promoting family values among newlyweds.

"In addition to conducting marriage ceremonies, they also provide counseling and guidance to pre-wedding couples," Yaqut added.