02.01.2022.
Minister Stefanović: In 2022, better living standards for soldiers and investment in defence industry
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Nebojša Stefanović, PhD, has announced that more than a billion euros will be invested in the domestic defence industry in the coming years, and said that this year the Ministry of Defence will continue to focus its efforts on taking care of soldiers and employees of the Serbian Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence.
Minister Stefanović points out that thanks to the great understanding shown by the Government of Serbia and President Aleksandar Vučić, the salaries for the SAF and MoD personnel have been increased by eight percent as of January 1, which, according to him, is the largest salary increase in the state sector."That will certainly raise the living standard of soldiers and civilians who work for both the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces," Stefanović told Tanjug.
At the same time, he emphasizes, the service members’ financial status improvement program will be continued. They will be able to solve their housing issues at below market value and get a roof over their heads.
"With better salaries and better working conditions, new facilities and infrastructure that we are planning to complete in 2022, we show that we take care of the defence system personnel in a much better way than in some former times”, Stefanović says.
The Minister announces that, as of 2022, more than a billion euros will be invested in the domestic defence industry and the production of “Lazar” and “Miloš” vehicles, PASARS systems, and the modernization of our Cubes, tanks, etc...
"In addition to hiring new people and improving their living standards, we will thus also improve our equipment. We have a completely clear picture of what we need to do in 2022 and we will start working from day one in order to achieve those goals," the Minister emphasized.
Stefanović says that the goal is for the SAF to be the strongest armed forces in this part of Europe and to provide peace, security and stability to the citizens.
"We do not want our armed forces to seek what is not ours, nor to pursue an aggressive policy, we want them to be an absolute deterrence and to guarantee us that anyone who thinks about harming the citizens of Serbia will think twice before doing so, and give up," Stefanović said.
Source: TANJUG
