28.08.2020.
Incomparably Better Standard of Members of Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces
Care for standard and quality of life of their members has been one of the priorities of the Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces in recent years and everyone who ties his life to the armed forces will have a reason to believe that those very institutions will take care of him and his family. The standard of Serbian Armed Forces members has been considerably improved which resulted in morale being at very high level among their members.
So far, salaries of members of Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces have been increased three times – in December 2017 by 10 per cent, and in January and November 2019 by nine per cent each time. Allowances were also increased for all soldiers, students and cadets, and individuals on professional advancements. Moreover, a three per cent increase of basic salary was introduced for professional servicemen who achieve 95 or more points at physical fitness checks.
Troop daily allowance was also increased to be 1,100 RSD, and an additional allowance in the amount of 10 per cent of basic salary was introduced for the staff of military health establishments, as a result of implemented measures and activities during COVID-19 outbreak.
Housing has also been significantly improved, having in mind that in 2019, at initiative of President of Republic and Supreme Commander of Serbian Armed Forces, construction and selling of inexpensive flats was initiated for members of security forces in Niš, Novi Sad, Kragujevac, Kraljevo, Vranje, Sremska Mitrovica and Belgrade. In December 2019, a new Rulebook on Housing in the Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces entered into force aimed at better distribution of flats for employed and retired members of defence system.
In the framework of improvement of standard of personnel of Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces, since 2017, cooperation with economic entities of the Republic of Serbia resulted in signing 75 contracts and agreements on cooperation aimed at enabling discount prices for goods and services and opportunities for payment in instalments by means of administrative order. Furthermore, Ministry of Defence cooperates with economic entities in the field of tourism and rehabilitation through implementation of 30 signed contracts.
Cooperation in the field of education represents a special area within the initiative to improve the status and standard of members of Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces. Nine contracts on cooperation have been signed with higher vocational schools on the basis of which a certain number of children of employees of the Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces is exempted or partially exempted from paying school tuitions.
In late August 2019, insurance was ensured for personnel of the Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces, everywhere and on every location continuously for 24 hours a day, against consequences of accidents/incidents in cases of death and permanent loss of overall working ability (invalidity) pursuant to agreed conditions. A solidary assistance has been introduced when a child is born to an employee of the Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces. Also, every child until the age of 15 will receive a voucher as a New Year gift. Furthermore, non-financial rewards have been introduced for stay in vacation and recreation facilities of the Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces.
Amendments and modifications to the Law on Armed Forces have enabled professional serviceman to gain a right to old age pension, and they provided an opportunity for a contract for definite duration employment to be signed for the period of up to three years, with a possibility for its extension, but validity of the last contract expires in the end of the year in which a professional soldier, non-commissioned officer or officers turns 53. Also, there is an opportunity to extend a contract on definite duration employment for individuals on certain formation positions or of certain specialties until they meet conditions for retirement which are stipulated by law which regulates pension or invalidity insurance.
Age limit has been increased for admission of non-commissioned officers to professional military service from 35 to 40 years of age, and for admission of officers to professional service from 40 to 45 years of age.
For women – military insured of spouses of military insured, the age limit has been raised for biomedically assisted impregnation, or artificial insemination, from 40 to 44 years of age, and now instead of two Fund for Social Insurance of Military Insured finances four free tries at artificial insemination.
Three sets of uniforms and equipment were provided to all professional servicemen, and visual identity has also been enhanced through introduction of new elements of the uniform and equipment. Part of Serbian Armed Forces units has been equipped with new assets of materiel, motor vehicles and accompanying equipment, which has considerably improved the quality of working conditions in units.
Corrective coefficients were defined for pilots and airmen so that the salaries of pilots and airmen in the Serbian Armed Forces will be equal to salaries of pilots and airmen in the Ministry of Interior.
In last several years, status has been fully resolved of members of Serbian Armed Forces throughout service, retirement and invalidity insurance with annual increment, allowances in case of reduced working ability, more favourable conditions for retirement, social and health protection within autonomous and fully sustainable system of military health care, in-house education and professional advancement and other benefits.
The Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces will continue taking care of their members and undertaking measures in order to improve the standard and living and working conditions to people who repay it every day to their country and their people through their hard work and self-sacrifice.
