Visit to "Prva Petoletka" in Trstenik

- Wages that 3 years ago amounted to 24 thousand are now 34924 dinars. At this moment, contracts have been signed worth over 3 billion and two hundred million dinars, the company is a significant part of the Serbian defence industry and an important negotiator of the Ministry of Defence and the Government of the Republic of Serbia with Airbus and its Russian partner for future cooperation in the overhaul of helicopters in our Institution Moma Stanojlovic and it is also an important factor in the procurement of spare parts for aviation as well as the supplier of the Serbian Armed Forces, primarily in the mortar program - Defence Minister said, adding that everything that is produced immediately goes into export.

Gasic announced the continuation of the maximum support of the Ministry of Defence for the company "Prva Petoletka Namenska " to act as a supplier for the needs of the Serbian Armed Forces but also for the modernization of the factory.

- For the first time since 1984, the factory procures new machines from its own resources, a loan has been approved of one million euros by the Serbian Bank for modernization and it provides infrastructure equipment from its own funds for several factory facilities as well - Minister said and added that since December 2014, "which was not the case from 2000 to 2012," the company regularly pays state taxes, contributions and all obligations "that were forgotten for years", on which the thanked the workers and management of the factory in which, as he said, there is a unity of management and labour union.

Director of "Prva Petoletka Namenska" Andjelka Atanaskovic thanked Minister Gasic for the third visit to the factory, and for the support thanks to which, as she said, they manage to overcome the problems they face.

- We have managed to settle all debts to the state, except for the tax debt from the previous period, which will most likely be resolved by conversion. We have signed contracts for the next two years, we work with enthusiasm and we expect even better results - Director of Trstenik "Prva Petoletka Namenska" said.

Sometime later, Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic, spoke about the current state of the Holding Company "Prva Petoletka”, which is facing major problems, with the management and union representatives. In his address to reporters after the meeting he emphasized that the Trstenik factory and 1580 employees are more important than politics.

- The desire of all companies of Prva Petoletka is to form a big consortium and for the workers to first manage to get a lease with their funds and then continue production.

- Defence industry has emphasized the TMP (thermal-machine processing), Prva Petoletka Namenska factory, as an entity that it wants to extract from the part to be privatized, with the help of SDPR and Prva Petoletka Namenska. We will do everything for 1,500 employees to continue to work, but in a manner required by law - Minister Gasic said and reminded that their capital is worth 40 million, and liabilities amount to over a hundred million dinars.

Responding to journalists' questions, Minister of Defence said that the control of arms exports from Serbia is performed under full control and in accordance with the law and applicable regulations, as is the case with the procurement of military equipment, which is done in accordance with the Public Procurement Law and all regulations.

Minister Gasic pointed out that this year significant savings have been achieved and that the military budget for 2016 will be the same as in 2015.