25.04.2012.

Minister Sutanovac in Cacak

Defence Minister Dragan Sutanovac and his associates have visited today the Technical Overhauling Institute and "Sloboda" company in Cacak. During the visit, the Minister handed over the keys of six apartments to the serving and retired members of the defence system in that city.

After the talks with the management of TRZ Cacak, the Defence Minister and his associates accompanied by the director of that institution, Colonel Goran Marjanovic, visited the tactical display, the plant for overhauling crawler vehicles, engine test station and the capacities for maintaining telecommunication equipment.

During the visit to TRZ Cacak, Minister Sutanovac stressed that the Institute is one of the important resources of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, not only because of the overhaul of the domestic arms and military equipment used by the Serbian Armed Forces, but also because of the possibility of providing services to foreign partners.

- We expect that Serbia will have a very serious contract concerning the overhaul and modernization of tanks M-84 in the forthcoming period – the Defence Minister said adding that the office of primary responsibility for that will be the Technical Overhauling Institute Cacak.

Speaking about the contract, the Minister said that tank M-84 was sold to Kuwait in the nineties, and that we have been offering the possibility of overhauling and modernization of that tank for several years.

- We believe that in the future we will finally have positive and concrete information from Kuwait and by that start a whole new era of relations – Minister Sutanovac concluded.

The Minister pointed out that he was particularly pleased that after many years TRZ Cacak opened competition to employ 125 persons, among whom there will also be young professionals.

- As we promised, we are expanding the capacities, because we need young and professional people – Sutanovac said noting that it has been for many years that young engineers have not managed to get job in Cacak.

The Director of the Institute pointed out that among the 125 employed there will be 32 engineers, 26 with the university degree and six with two-year college degree, who will be posted to the positions of technologists in the plants. Other places, according to his words are reserved for highly skilled and skilled craftsmen, who are the most needed.

During his visit to "Sloboda" company, Minister Sutanovac started a new machine for polishing of positions, which brings together the operations which were previously performed by several plants.

- When the company exports increase 3.5 times in four years, and salaries of the personnel increase by 75 percent, and when one employs 50 percent more workers than four years ago, then you can say that the company is managed in an adequate manner with the support of the Ministry Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces – the Defence Minister pointed out, adding that, today, the average salary in "Sloboda" is thirty percent higher than in the rest of the metal production complex.

According to him, the company has good prospects, especially that there are new plants under construction in it even in these difficult conditions.

- More than sixty million euros in exports of Serbian arms and military equipment since 2006 is four times less than what Serbia is making today – Minister Sutanovac pointed out, adding that this company will participate also in the export of knowledge not only of the products but also technology, which is a good prospect for our young professionals.

Delegation of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, headed by the Minister, visited the facilities of "Toolworks" and "Protection" and building "P" which is under reconstruction, and is intended for assembly of anti-aircraft and aircraft ammunition. Reconstruction of that building would increase efficiency and security of the plants.

The director of "Sloboda" Zoran Stefanovic said that the previous year was a record one when it comes to the agreed works and that all requirements are met before the deadlines.

- During this year the value of the contracted export business is around 46 million and about 360 million dinars for the activities of the Ministry of Defence - Stefanovic said.

At the end of the visit to the Technical Overhauling Institute, the Minister of Defence handed over the keys of six flats to active and retired members of the defence system in that city.

- This plan is a continuation of five thousand housing solutions in five years – the Minister said and stressed that the policy of the Ministry of Defence continues to be directed towards solving housing problems for as many as possible members of the military.