Garuda's outgoing chief praised
Garuda's outgoing chief praised
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto yesterday acknowledged that Garuda Indonesia, the national flag carrier, significantly improved under the management of Wage Mulyono, who was replaced by Supandi last Friday.
"Wage was entering retirement and I have to underline that he was successful in managing Garuda. For instance, the airline's profit surged from some Rp 7 billion in 1993 to more than Rp 350 billion in 1994," he told reporters after attending a ceremony for the transfer of Wage's job to his successor Supandi at Garuda's headquarters here.
Haryanto's statement on the 1993 profit was apparently a correction to his own figure of Rp 73 billion that he mentioned last year.
The 1994 profit actually included the cash payment from the sale of 17 aging DC-9 aircraft to an Australian company.
The ceremony, attended by Director General of Air Transportation Zainuddin Sikado and Director General for State Enterprises Martiono Hadianto, was closed to reporters.
"I did not want my photograph taken," Haryanto said after the ceremony.
Some officials attending the ceremony said that Haryanto was so touched when shaking hands with Wage that his eyes filled with tears.
Wage was absent at Supandi's installation ceremony held at Haryanto's office last Friday.
Haryanto yesterday declined to comment on controversial reports about the replacement of Wage, who reportedly requested an early resignation due to unnecessary intervention from the government. Wage, 61, should actually serve as Garuda's president until early 1997.
The minister also said that Garuda must be very clever in controlling its financial affairs, in particularly in dealing with the procurement of aircraft.
Meanwhile, Martiono said that Garuda cannot directly arrange loan raising.
"It's the government's task to accrue loans for state firms because it will affect the country debt service ratio," he said.
Martiono also said that many airlines all over the world also suffer financial problems as the prices of jets have increased at a faster rate than airfares.
The prices of jets have tripled in the last 15 years, while airfares have remained the same, he said. (icn)