2024-04-02 22:29:47
From January 1, 2024, the monthly salaries of the military personnel of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, the internal troops, the border service, as well as the State Service for Mobilization and Conscription will be increased by 20 percent. President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree in this regard on November 7.
On the same date, according to another decree, the salaries of officers, ensigns and overtime servicemen of the Special Forces were increased by 2.1 times.
But the opinion of the Accounting Chamber on the state budget of 2024 shows that the allowances of war veterans will not increase. Currently, the amount of the allowance is 80 manats.
At the beginning of this year, although benefits in a number of areas in the country increased, veterans were neglected.
Deputy: “Even if you give 1 million, it’s not much to say”
Member of the defense, security and anti-corruption committee of the National Assembly Arzu Nagiyev He told “Turan” that the main directions of next year’s budget are security, Karabakh and social issues: “Therefore, the increase in salaries in the army should be considered as a very positive thing. The issue of whether it is enough or not is somewhat relative. There are some people who have little to say even if you give them 1 million.”
According to the committee member, the increases will continue: “Certain increases are planned in the 2024 budget.”
“As utility costs increase…”
As for the allowance given to veterans, Nagiyev noted that those 80 manats are mainly intended for utility expenses of veterans: “At the committee meeting of the Milli Majlis, a proposal was made that as utility expenses increase, these 80 manats should also be indexed.”
Official institutions say that since these 80 manats are allowances, it is not correct to bring them to the agenda regarding the increase of salaries of military personnel.
“We were civilians and…”
Military expert, reserve officer Uzeyir Jafarov and told RFE/RL that the recent salary increase is not enough: “Because a large number of our military personnel are still in debt today and they suffer a lot from it”.
According to the expert’s estimate, the increase was expected to be between 20-40 percent, but it was increased by 20 percent: “Let’s see if they won’t do it like a few years ago?” That is, the increase will be applied to the salary of the military personnel as a whole, or to the salary of the position? (in the decrees, we are talking about the official salary) In any case, this is an attention and care for the army, but it would be better if it were more.”
U. Jafarov says that these increases will not apply to reserve and retired servicemen: “Because the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population arbitrarily changed the Law on Pensions of Military Servicemen, we became civilians and receive labor pensions.”
According to him, the amount of 80 manat benefits received by veterans is expected to increase next year: “In any case, an offer has been made, what will be decided – we will know in the near future.”
Freedom radio