site.btaArmed Forces Personnel Shortage Can Be Overcome by Raising Wages, Defence Minister Says

Armed Forces Personnel Shortage Can Be Overcome by Raising Wages, Defence Minister Says

Lovech, Northern Bulgaria, June 24 (BTA) - There are 5,600 vacant positions for career servicepersons in the Bulgarian Armed Forces, Defence Minister Krassimir Karakachanov said on Saturday. He said the worst problem is that 30 to 40 per cent of the people applying for such jobs prove unfit for reasons of health or education. A wage rise could solve the problem of personnel shortage, Karakachanov suggested.

The Defence Minister was speaking to journalists during the 15th Festival of Medicinal Herbs, Mountaineering and Tourism, held near Balkanets, Lovech Region.

According to him, a newly recruited soldier receives a starting wage of 608 leva per month and a monthly food allowance of 120 leva. The Defence Ministry has made calculations to support a formal proposal for a wage increase and has provided them to the Finance Ministry. Talks are coming up.

Karakachanov also commented on the proposed reintroduction of conscription. He said the first thing to do is to introduce military training at schools. This cannot be done at the beginning of the next school year, because it requires coordination of the curriculum, and the number of lessons is to be set by the Ministry of Education and Science. Karakachanov believes there should be at least 15 military training lessons throughout the school year.

Two hundred servicepersons are contributing to the protection of the national border, which is enough, considering that migrant movements are not intensive at present, he said.