Riaumag.com –There is something different about President Joko Widodo’s (Jokowi) overseas visit to three countries, namely Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates. Based on information from the Press Media and Information Bureau of the Presidential Secretariat, Jokowi and his entourage used a wide-body aircraft belonging to the Garuda Indonesia airline during the working visit.
In response to this, Head of the Presidential Secretariat Heru Budi Hartono gave an explanation ahead of the departure for Rome at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Tangerang, Banten, Friday (29/10/2021).
Heru explained that the selection of this national airline aircraft had been carefully considered, such as considerations of time efficiency, budget savings, as well as health protocols.
“By using this wide-bodied aircraft, this 13-hour trip to Rome can be done directly without the need for transit. If we use the BBJ Presidential Airplane, we have to transit. And remember, this is the President’s first working visit abroad during a pandemic, We must be very careful in carrying out health protocols, including face-to-face meetings during transit,” Heru said in his statement.
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Heru said that if Jokowi and his entourage had to transit, preparations for the implementation of health protocols must be carried out properly, such as sterilization of waiting rooms, PCR tests for waiters at transit points, and also food and drinks served must be carried out with strict health protocols.
Another thing that Heru considers is the efficiency of the budget in which all ministers who were present during the visit were part of the President’s entourage on this plane.
“Of course, the use of the budget is also our concern. After we calculated it was much more economical with the participation of the ministers in this group, compared to these ministers using commercial aircraft. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Finance, Minister of BUMN, and Cabinet Secretary,” said Heru.
Heru said that not all of these Ministers had joined since in Jakarta, because there was a meeting that had to be attended before joining Jokowi’s entourage.
“Minister of Finance and Minister of Foreign Affairs for example, he must first go to Rome, because there is a ministerial level meeting and also preparing for the arrival of the President. But after that, from Rome to Glasgow, then continued Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the Foreign Minister will continue to join,” said Heru.
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In addition, other savings are that all groups who are members of the advance team to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, returning to the country will join the plane.
