21.07.2014.

An example of good cooperation

Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic visited today with his associates the Military economy “Medosevac” where convicts from the Correctional Facility in Nis started working recently. This is an agricultural economy of 36 hectares that the Armed Forces of Serbia conceded to the Correctional Facility in Nis. Minister was welcomed by the Mayor of Nis Zoran Perisic, Director of the Administration for the Execution of Penitentiary Sanctions of the Ministry of Justice Milan Stevovic and Manager of the Correctional Facility Aleksandar Grbovic.

- Today, you have the opportunity to see what a good cooperation between the two Ministries looks like – the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Defence. This space was abandoned in 2008, everything stolen and completely destroyed. In only two months, with the work of hard-working hands, this place is functional again – Minister of Defence said, adding that the Armed Forces own 7 more of such objects. He announced that the Ministry of Defence would put extra effort to make those 7 economies functional as well, so that they are of some use.

- Preserving this object, paying for security and having no use of it has only caused damage to the Armed Forces – Defence Minister said and pointed out that “nothing can be gained for free from the Armed Forces in this country anymore, because it has been only giving for years, without gaining anything” and clarified that, for now, the agreement is to place the object into function, and to, later on, extend the contract to 30 years and in such a way that the Armed Forces will receive remuneration in agricultural goods for its needs, or in other means.

Gasic also said that the Armed Forces have one facility in Sabac used by the Military Construction Direction, which produces very little. He pointed out that they had decided for the Armed Forces not to purchase for its needs any more, but to produce on its own at its facilities.

- We don’t have enough employed workers, but we can make a mutual agreement with the Ministry of Justice to make this facility functional, to have their workers work there and the Armed Forces of Serbia to get furniture, beds, cabinets and whatever it needs from there – Minister Gasic said, adding that he looks forward the realization of this work, reminding that they arranged in May for the economy “Medosevac” to be placed unto use and that it started producing vegetables and raising cattle in under two months.

Manager of the Correctional Facility Aleksandar Grbovic thanked Minister Gasic for the given opportunity to hire convicted persons and thus reduce the State’s costs.

- We have had 50 convicts working here each day for the last two months, and now you have the opportunity to see the results of this work. This is a good and a beneficial thing, financially, but also for re-socialization of convicted persons – Grbovic said, adding that the CF has so far invested around two million RSD in the economy, especially in the reconstruction of the object.

Earlier in the day, Minister Gasic visited the CF where renovation works of the oldest pavilion at the Facility, the C building, which had been built in 1910, are under way. Representatives of the Correctional Facility presented their production program that includes garden and upholstery furniture, wooden baby feeders, coveralls, chess figures for the blind, decorated wooden bottles and various carved work. What is of special interest for the Armed Forces is an assortment of metal bunk beds and metal cassettes, available in various models. Minister also visited the St. Stevan Decanski Church within the Facility complex, whose walls are painted by the convicts. On this occasion, one of them gave Minister Gasic the present of an icon of Archangel Mihajlo.