MOSCOW, June 5 (AVN) - Chief-of-Staff Anatoly Kvashnin reported to the State Duma lower house of parliament on Tuesday on payment of bonuses for participation in combat to servicemen involved in the anti-guerrilla operation in the North Caucasus.
The Finance Ministry transferred all allocations for payment of bonuses for August 2000 to January 2001 in February this year, Kvashnin said in a letter to the Duma. The debt for February was repaid in early May, he claimed.
Kvashnin wrote the letter in response to the parliamentary request concerning full and timely payment of bonuses for involvement in combat, a spokesman for the Duma staff told the Military News Agency. Kvashnin also wrote that soldiers were paid for each day of their involvement in combat as reported by commanders of their units, task forces and other groups. These reports were approved by the unified federal group commander.
According to the letter, inspections into complaints about delays in payment were sometimes groundless. Many soldiers demanded payment for each day of service in Chechnya, not for days of involvement in combat.
Kvashnin claimed the reasons behinds delays in payment of bonuses were poor and irregular financing of the Defence Ministry from August 2000 to January 2001, late issue of orders for payment and poor registration of personnel involved in combat in military units.