Reasons For Civil Servants Always Riding Garuda During Official Travel, Get Special Services

The reason why civil servants always ride Garuda during official trips (Photo: Doc. Antara)

YOGYAKARTA - State Civil Apparatus (ASN) often carries out official programs outside the city. Usually, state servants will ride air transportation if the destination city is quite far. But the question is what is the reason why civil servants always ride Garuda on official trips?

It is well known by many that Garuda Indonesia airlines have always been planes for civil servants during official trips. In fact, in Indonesia, there are various airlines operating to various airports in cities in the country. In addition, with full service services, Garuda Indonesia flight ticket prices are relatively more expensive than other aircraft.

It is normal for government agencies, both central and regional, to use Garuda Indonesia for official travel purposes. Behind that, it turns out that there is a reason that civil servants always ride Garuda during their official trip.

It turns out that the reason civil servants always use Garuda Indonesia airlines is because it is related to the procurement of goods and services of government agencies. Based on the website of the Government Goods/Services Procurement Policy Institute (LKPP), all procurement of goods and services in government agencies is mandatory through e-catalog when it is available in the LKPP system.

The provisions for the procurement of goods and services have been regulated in the Presidential Decree of LKPP Number 4 of 2015. Especially for e-catalogs for the procurement of flight services, currently LKPP has just collaborated with Garuda Indonesia. So civil servants are only allowed to buy Garuda aircraft tickets that are already registered in e-catalog.

The purchase of Garuda Indonesia flight tickets cannot be done by civil servants carelessly. To buy tickets, civil servants can only pay through two perception banks, namely Bank Nasional Indonesia (BNI) and Bank Mandiri. All payments are made from the LKPP e-catalog system.

Civil servants also benefit in the form of discounted plane ticket purchases for official travel. Every civil servant who buys tickets for this purpose is entitled to a discount from the airline.

The special price for purchasing plane tickets for civil servants is valid as long as it does not exceed the General Cost Standard Ceiling (SBU) set by the Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu) as the state treasurer.

The amount of Garuda Indonesia ticket prices for civil servants also uses a calculation system following regulations regulated by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). These regulations generally apply to all airlines that are members of IATA.

Civil servants can get an 11% discount on Garuda Indonesia flight tickets for domestic flights using business and economic class. Meanwhile, for international or overseas official travel tickets, ticket discounts reach 20% for all classes.

"It is hoped that all government agencies, both central and regional, can immediately use the e-catalog of flight services when they want to purchase tickets for official travel," wrote LKPP in one of the reports on its website.

As an airline that has collaborated in the procurement of goods/services for government agencies, Garuda Indonesia provides special services for civil servants. This airline provides two Garuda Miles Platinum cards with at least 2 cards for officials in every government agency.

Each government agency can give the 2 cards to its officials. This Garuda Miles Platinum facility can be used for access to Garuda Indonesia lounge facilities at a number of airports.

In addition to providing special services for official travel flights for civil servants, Garuda Indonesia also facilitates special ticket bookings for government agencies through the Government Online System (Govos).

Such is the review of the reason why civil servants always ride Garuda during official trips. It turns out that this is related to the rules for the procurement of goods/services for government agencies. A number of agencies even require ASN in their environment to use Garuda Indonesia airline air transportation.

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