Defence Minister Vlado Misajlovski, today (20 October), at a press conference in the Government announced a reform in the Macedonian Army that will open a new opportunity for professional soldiers who turn 45 years of age to continue working within the Army until their retirement. This, Misajlovski said, is a permanent solution that solves the challenges that professional soldiers in the Macedonian Army have been facing.
"This solution, after decades, solves the challenges faced by professional soldiers forever. Professional soldiers are the pillar of the Army and in most of their professional engagement they give everything for us to be safe, they help citizens whenever and wherever they are needed. The reform means that Macedonian professional soldiers will finally and deservedly be satisfied and confident in their future even after 45 years", emphasized the minister.
He added that in addition to this new opportunity, the previous opportunities for severance pay in the amount of two average salaries for each year spent in the Army, as well as the opportunity for employment in state and local government bodies, remain in force.
The details of the reform were explained by the Chief of the General Staff of the Army, Major General Sashko Lafchiski, who emphasized that this additional opportunity allows professional soldiers to remain in the Army as part of the security of property and persons in the Army barracks and garrisons.
"This reform will resolve one of the key demands of professional soldiers who are turning 45 years of age, which is to change their employment status from fixed-term to indefinite. With this proposed solution, the very important obligation to secure the property and personnel of the Army in the garrisons and barracks will be taken over by the professional soldiers who will be deployed in the units that will be responsible for securing the property and personnel in the barracks and garrisons", underlined the Chief of General Staff.
General Lafchiski added that the stance of all generals and officers holding command and management duties is that there is no better and more trained personnel to perform these tasks than the professional soldiers who decide to remain within the Army as civilians.
According to the conclusions reached by the Government, the Ministry of Defence should submit the changes to the army formation to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Army within one month, while at the same time amending the Rule for Securing Facilities, Materiel and People in the Army.
The reform supported by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Army is the result of the joint work of the Ministry of Defence with defence trade unions, as well as an extensive analysis by the Army General Staff, which guarantees its long-term sustainability.
