Rama and Xhaçka at Kuçova Air Base: Up to 19% increase for military personnel remuneration next year

Published: Monday, 12 November 2018 17:21

Up to 19% salary increase is planned for the military personnel for 2019. During the presentation of the Draft Defense Budget from Kuçova Air Base, Prime Minister Edi Rama and Defense Minister Olta Xhaçka declared that this is the greatest increase in the history of the Armed Forces.

Prime Minister Edi Rama stated that "during the review of the draft budget and thanks to the insistence of the Defense Minister, the government will make possible for the AAF a much more substantial budget than was predicted for salary increase.

"The Minister of Defense, whom I have the opportunity to thank for her dedication and seriousness in the direction of the Ministry of Defense, has exposed an extremely important work accomplished by the Armed Forces in order to flood prevention by intervening in the Fier area where they are even today, in an intensive work with extended working hours", - said during his speech the Prime Minister.

"It will be a 19% increase for the military personnel remuneration by escalating it further at all levels. This is the greatest salary increase made in the history of the Armed Forces, a deserved increase. Although the Armed Forces are not daily in sight of the public opinion, everywhere and with whomever we communicate within the Alliance, they have made Albania proud and respectful. The opinions of our partners about the missions and people who represented Albania in missions are excellent", - said Prime Minister Rama. "It was a surprise for everyone, and we received congratulations for the presentation of our team in the patrols challenge in the UK, where we also received the Bronze Medal" - underlined the Prime Minister.

Defense Minister Olta Xhaçka, while praising the decision taken by NATO to invest and modernize the Kuçova Air Base, as one of the investments that will bring multiple benefits, emphasizing that this way the Alliance has underlined Albania's leadership as a factor of stability in the region for Protection and Security.
"The government has appreciated the Ministry of Defense as an important structure, which has already taken on more responsibilities in internal security, in addition to traditional defense duties, and is aiming a budget support for the defense sector by increasing the budget for 2019 in 1.25% of Gross Domestic Product, as is our commitment to NATO this year. An increase like that is undoubtedly a confirmation of our country's political commitment to NATO to fulfill the Welsh Summit's decisions for the gradual growth of the Member States' Defense Budget to reach the 2% level of Gross Domestic Product, up to 2024”, - said Xhaçka.

"Our main focus will be the treatment of low ranks, ranging from soldiers, whose salary will increase by 19%, continuing with other ranks up to Major, who will benefit from a gradual increase. From the salary increase for 2019 will benefit about 6800 military as will get extra payment for difficulty at work professions and important categories of AF such as pilots, doctors, nurses, Special Forces and security forces”, said during her speech the Defense Minister.

Minister Xhaçka underlined that due to the 2019 Budget, AAF could be closer to the community with infrastructure interventions in remote areas, construction of "Bailey" bridges, hotspots’ clearance, removal of the rocks that obstruct road axes or pose a threat to citizens' safety, and examinations from AAF doctors and nurses to the community in the remote areas.

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