Garuda Indonesia Board Of Directors Judged Not Making Operational Cost Savings, Employee Union Urges Erick Thohir To Conduct Evaluation

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Garuda Employees Union (Sekarga) urges SOE Minister Erick Thohir to evaluate the performance of the directors of PT Garuda Indonesia (Persero). This evaluation is considered important in order to maintain the sustainability of the national airline's business.

Daily Chairman of the Sekarga Central Executive Board Tomy Tampatty said that the evaluation needed to be carried out in response to the statement by the Chairman of Commission VI of the House of Representatives (DPR), Faisol Riza, who said that the government could help save Garuda from the threat of bankruptcy.

However, continued Tomy, the government was hesitant because it saw the absence of a clear scheme from the management including future business plans, so the government was hesitant to help Garuda Indonesia. Therefore, evaluation needs to be done.

"We hope that the Minister of SOEs can evaluate the current performance of the Garuda Indonesia Board of Directors. This evaluation is very important in order to maintain the continuity of the Garuda Indonesia flag carrier," he said, in Jakarta, Monday, November 22.

Not only that said Tomy, but Deputy Chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Syarief Hasan also asked the government to be able to act professionally by placing competent human resources or human resources in various SOEs such as Garuda Indonesia. So that it can continue to grow and not be contaminated with political matters.

Prior to the spotlight from the Head of State High Institutions, according to Tomy, internally Garuda Indonesia had criticism from one of the Board of Commissioners on June 2, 2021, in which it highlighted the performance of the Board of Directors who did not perform several important points.

"Among them are the absence of operational cost savings. The absence of information on the method and narrative of negotiations with the lessor, the absence of evaluation/changes in flight routes that are losing money and cash flow management that cannot be understood," he said.

Because of this, Tomy said that he, who is an internal member of Garuda, also doubts the same thing as the two Heads of State High Institutions and one of the Board of Commissioners.

"We view that the criticism submitted is part of our support for the continuity of the flag carrier Garuda Indonesia," he said.