03.01.2021.
Minister Stefanović: Speculation about laying off professional soldiers is a lie
"Public speculation about the possibility of laying off several thousand professional soldiers from the Serbian Armed Forces based on the idea of reintroducing conscription is an absolute lie“, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Negojša Stefanović, PhD, stated today.
He emphasizes that not only are there no plans to lay off professional soldiers from the armed forces, but on the contrary, there are plans to recruit new ones and significantly increase their salaries.
“In addition to a 5 percent pay rise that everyone will get, Serbian Armed Forces personnel will also get an additional 10 percent increase this year. The lowest paid soldiers will get the biggest increase," Stefanović said.
"I have said it many times and I will say it again - the strength of the armed forces lies in its people", Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence pointed out and added that money would be invested not only in higher salaries for soldiers, but also in their equipment and working conditions.
He also stated that the idea of reintroducing conscription would be seriously considered in parallel, which is not a reason for dismissing soldiers.
"We want strong, powerful, equipped and well-paid armed forces, because only such armed forces are a guarantor of Serbia’s stability and security, and we will fight for that," Stefanović concluded.
