VITEBSK, December 28 (AVN) - As much as 1,800 Byelorussian officers and ensigns have no personal flats, and another 2,500 families of servicemen need to improve their housing conditions, Defence Minister Alexander Chumakov said on Thursday.
The Defence Ministry has had to cut down public housing in the past few years due to poor financing, Chumakov told servicemen who had been granted flats in a new 80-apartment block in Vitebsk. The 2000 military budget allocates only 191 billion Byelorussian roubles (USD214,000) for this purpose, which is only enough to build one 100-apartment block.
The only way to improve the situation is to set up condominiums, Chumakov told the Military News Agency. The state is ready to grant officers lax credits for purchasing apartments.
As much as 37 condominiums have been set up in various Byelorussian garrisons. Another seven are being established.