MOSCOW, February 17 (AVN) - Ukrainian Defence Minister Alexander Kuzmuk and top officials of his ministry on Thursday met newly-elected chairman of the parliamentary national security and defence committee Boris Androsyuk, sources in the Defence told the Military News Agency.
The parties discussed development and reform of the Armed Forces, the sources said. According to them, such meeting is not accidental just two days before the parliament considers the federal 2000 budget in the third reading .
The military tried to assure the parliamentarian that the Supreme Rada cannot deprive the army of several traditional benefits, such as a 50-percent discount for rent and utilities, free tickets to places of rest, etc., at once.
Another problem is lack of guarantees for repayment of wage debts which have reached 317 million hrivnyas (USD55m). The budget only envisages money for salaries attached to the position, rank and time-in-service. All other payments which exceed 40 percent of the wages are still undecided.
As a result, the salary of a lieutenant-colonel in command of a battalion will fall to 240-280 hrivnyas (USD42-49), General Girgory Avdeyev, deputy head of the Defence Ministry chief economy department, said.
The military fear that such budget can severely affect all Ukrainian law-enforcement bodies.