08.02.2018.

Minister Vulin: Quicker Resolution of the Housing Issue

Today, in the Great War Room of the Old General Staff, Minister of Defence Aleksandar Vulin and Chief of General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces General Ljubiša Diković handed over the keys to 20 flats to active and retired members of the Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces. Addressing the members of defence system who have been provided with the flat today, Minister Vulin said that it was privilege to be able to say that the long path of resolving the housing issue had been finally completed.

- It took a long time, and just because it takes so much time, and because the members of the Serbian Armed Forces and the security sector in general deserve greater attention and that their housing issue is resolved in the shortest time, we have initiated a project upon the order of the Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces Aleksandar Vučić on mass housing construction. The generation that will come after you will solve their housing issue more quickly. They will be able to concentrate more on their work and life because the most significant issue, the housing issue, will be resolved much faster. You have spent your lives in the Serbian Armed Forces, and you gave your best, you protected it in the most difficult times, and you were there when it was truly hard. That is why I thank you today by conferring these flats. There is no greater joy for us than to know that the members of the Serbian Armed Forces taken care of and their families in their own homes. It is nice to finally have the roof over your head. I am glad for you and your families, and I thank you for your hardworking and honourable service and everything that you did for your country, and this is the way in which your country and your armed forces express their gratitude – said the minister of defence.

He added that everything that the Ministry of Defence did, everything that it did following the instruction of order of the Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces Aleksandar Vučić and on the basis of the wishes and needs of our members, it did all that to show that the Republic of Serbia would be there to take care of you the moment you became a part of the security system.

- From the beginning until the end; from the first day when you join the Armed Forces of Serbia, until the moment when you leave it and become our esteemed pensioner. Our message is that no one is forgotten and that everyone who becomes a part of our defence system can count on the protection and care. He can count that we will pay attention to him starting from his working conditions, salary, and we will pay attention to his family, and to where they live. The resolution of the housing issue is the most important issue that can be solved. When you accomplish that, you dedicate yourself to your life and work, and your family is safe and secure – the minister of defence highlighted and stressed that it was the reason why the mass construction of flats had been initiated that would in terms of quality be equal to any other flat, at a price that would not be comparable to any other flat because they would be far more attainable for all the members of the security sector.

- It is just a proof that the state has changed, that it takes care of every our member and that the development of security system is important for us. There is no development without men, and the men are the most important. If they are satisfied, if the armed forces are strong and satisfied, we no more have reason to worry and the development of the state of Serbia can be safe, peaceful and stable just like Serbia deserves, but if you do not have strong and stable armed forces and well organised Police, and if you do not have a security system, then you cannot say that you will have a stable country – said Minister Vulin and added that many things had changed and that the process of destruction of the armed forces, that had taken place particularly since 2000 until recently, had been stopped for good in 2012.

- We see that now. The military has bigger budget, it has more money. We can introduce solidarity support for the birth of a child, we can help our members and increase salaries, enable credits and flats, because we saved in the previous period and because since 2012 we have saved and now one can see the fruit of that saving. Of course, development of the security system is our priority – stated the minister of defence.

Answering a reporter’s question about the mass housing construction for the armed forces and police and planned locations for the construction, Minister Vulin mentioned that several locations had been offered, and that it was up to local governments to decide where it was suitable or not.

- Everything from the Master Plan that we sell are the facilities that are no longer needed for the functioning of the armed forces, and a part of it can be used to improve the standard of all members, but at the first place for arms and equipment. Firstly, we need to state precise requirements and at this moment we cannot say the precise number of the flats that are going to be given. Not the Security-Information Agency, or the Ministry of Interior, of the Serbian Armed Forces have given the precise number of required flats yet. We will give the precise requests that we have now, but we will also think about the future, about how we will develop and we will go a step forward. The state Commission is at work so we will see what the timeframe is and what the locations are for the construction. You cannot build 30,000 flats this very moment, but you can do so in phases, and no one will wait for 30 years. That is our goal, just like it was for the majority of people who have been given the flats today. Today, we had with us the widows of our officers who did not resolve their housing problem all their lives – said Minister Vulin and added that it was very important that a member of our armed forces knew that from the moment when he entered the system and became a member of our armed forces, he could count that the housing issue would be resolved swiftly, not at the end of his service, but while he was still in the system, so that he could plan his family and his life and consequently to have reason and a wish to stay in the armed forces.

Minister Vulin reminded that daily allowances and salaries had been increased, and that the solidarity support had been introduced, that the flats were given, and he noted that every soldier would have at least two sets of new uniforms and that an intensive work was being conducted in barracks to house all materiel.

- Everything that we do, we do it to improve the financial status of the armed forces, and we will continue doing that – Minister Vulin concluded.

As General Diković pointed out, permanent care for the men, about their satisfaction, living and working conditions, and the status and standard, was a priority task of the Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces.

- We care about having a combat ready man, who is healthy, and dedicated to his profession and tasks that he executes for the state. This today was yet another example of that care for the men, which is not only reflected in giving the flats, but in a range of other activities that the minister of defence initiated in the last and this year. And we will not stop here and I would underline once more the project on the construction of 30,000 flats that will contribute to that peace and stability of men, so that they can dedicate to their families more and care less about what is going to happen out of the work and whether the things will develop like they should. I hope that the implementation of that project will largely increase the responsibility of the people for what they do at their work – General Diković pointed out and added that it was a message to all that the Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces had a responsible task, that they took care of the people and that it was most important that the people were content.

Answering a reporter’s question whether the flats that were given that day were new, the Chief of General Staff said that those were flats that were found in the defence system that had been used for many years by those who had had very little to do with the armed forces.

- There are probably more such flats, because Belgrade is a huge town. The flats were not always been given justly, which we see now. However, through an activity of our bodies, Military Police and Ministry of Interior, we are finding those flats and we are giving them to our people. Otherwise, by constructing 30,000 flats we are solving the housing problems in the Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces for a long period of time and we are creating an opportunity for the young who are just joining the armed forces, be it at the lowest officer or NCO ranks, to resolve their housing issue immediately without waiting for 25 or 30 years. Apart from that, we have not given up on subsidised credits which are the most favourable in the Republic of Serbia, which we provide to our members to solve their housing issue – underlined General Diković.

Today, after 34 years of waiting Vlastimir Rnjaković, retired Major, has got a two room flat.

- The feeling is wonderful but conflicting at the same time. In my heart I would jump for joy, but in my head I am still a bit disappointed for having waited for so long for the flat - said Rnjaković.

Lieutenant Colonel Miroslav Stamenković has been in service since 1988. He says that this year he will have 30 years of effective reckonable service without resolved housing issue.
- I am overjoyed and I would like to thank the Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces for resolving the housing issue of their members and for taking care of us. Now at the end of my career I can say that my family and I will have peaceful future days to spend under our roof – Lieutenant Colonel Stamenković said.