09.04.2014.

Minister Rodic handed over keys of new apartments in Stepa Stepanovic residential complex

At the site of the former Stepa Stepanovic barracks in Belgrade, Nebojsa Rodic, Minister of Defence in the caretaker government, today, handed over the keys of eight apartments to active and retired members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces.

Congratulating the future residents of the Stepa Stepanovic residential complex, the Minister pointed out that today's distribution of keys is continuation of good practice, but also the confirmation of the implementation of a responsible policy in the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces that dwellings that were obtained by a contract come to their end users.

- Among the eight apartments that are now assigned for use, there are, among the others, three widows who will live there with their children. The oldest member of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces who will receive the keys today is 77, and figuratively speaking, all these people together have been waiting for more than 230 years to get their apartments – Minister Rodic pointed out, assessing that every member of the defence system should be considered with respect, because the state receives from them a selfless contribution when it is needed, and therefore the system should not recognize only numbers, but people as well. These eight families, he said, deserve the same attention as when we were allocating ten times more keys.

At this location, as Minister of Defence pointed out, there are 779 apartments, and according to the contract that was once concluded, the Serbian Armed Forces has received 932 apartments, and 100 more housing units, due to red tape, are waiting for new tenants.

- I think we are on track to implement an agreement with the Building Directorate of Serbia to enter into a project that will provide on the same basis further creation of preconditions for solving the housing problems of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces. And that is not the only way, because we started to grant the loans as well, and this is one way of solving the housing problems, and thus we resolved 153 housing issues – Minister Rodic emphasized.

Responding to questions from journalists, the Minister announced that there are currently very serious discussions with responsible people in our country who are dealing with the disposal of the state-owned property, concerning the definition of how the housing problem should be solved in the future.

- You need to be realistic, because 12 thousand housing problem is a serious issue not only for one ministry, but also for the state – Minister Rodic said, adding that the attempts are being made for the defence system to get rid of all property that is not intended directly for the purpose of what the military is in charge. According to him, it must be done as soon as possible to avoid the situation in which are some of the armies in our environment that today are the taxpayers.

- We are taking actions and working on the solutions for the property that is given to us for use, but which is not intended for the primary tasks of the military, to be made available as soon as possible to those who are able to build and provide us flats in compensation for that building – concluded Minister cousin.

He also announced for June the completion of 82 two apartments in an apartment building on the Bezanijska kosa site, whose construction started back in 1992, as well as potential residential units in Zemun which will be obtained in exchange for military land.

Key allocation ceremony was attended by Ms Jasminka Todorov, Assistant Minister for Material Resources, Colonel Milan Sladoje, Head of Infrastructure Department of Material Resources Sector, Lieutenant Colonel Davorko Palikuca, Head of "Belgrade" Military Construction centre and Mr Nebojsa Surlan, Director of the Building Directorate of Serbia.