24.05.2010.

Informing the military pensioners

Minister of defense Dragan Sutanovac informed in Media center “Odbrana” the representatives of the Military Pensioners Association, on the steps taken by MoD to overcome those problems the former SAF members are facing.

The meeting was attended by the top responsible people in Mod for the issues regarding standard, social security and the living standard of military pensioners, Brig. Gen. Sladjan Djordjevic, Head of the Personnel Department, Colonel Sladjan Ristic, Head of the Department for Tradition, Standard and Military Veterans and Colonel Milojko Milovanovic, while the president of the association Ljubmir Draganjac represented the pensioners.

This was another opportunity for minister Sutanovac to acquaint the present of the current results of MoD in the process of professionalization and in raising the repute of the SAF.

By presenting them with such information which clearly suggests that the fund management is now much more effective than in previous years, even though the military budget has suffered reduction, is still able to meet all financial obligations.

The fact that some 80 % of the budget is being allocated to cover personnel costs, Sutanovac added that this was a large burden for the system as it leaves it with insufficient funds for bigger equipping projects.

He also reminded the pensioners that recent MoD reorganization had resulted in the establishment of a new Department for Tradition, Standard and Veterans which will in future be tasked with resolving the pensioners’ problems.

President Draganjac commended the minister, saying that he was the first MoD official of his rank and status to have met with the pensioners.

He stated that the pensioners should remain under MoD when it comes to their social issues as this could only be attributed to the specific characteristics of the service.

However, he reminded the minister that the biggest problem were the solving of housing issues and payment of certain mismatch in salaries as a result of new regulations.

Minister Sutanovac, in answering reporters’ questions, reminded that MoD had already done a lot to ensure that the housing issues are solved, and that we can expect another 1000 cases to be solved.

Furthermore, he reminded of the Mod campaign to ensure interest-free loans where military pensioners received 20000 EUR each to solve their housing issues.