A busy month the one we left behind, filled with activities, marked mainly by visits, celebrations and decorations of all sorts.
Once more on food treatment
Last month saw a discussion on returning food treatment for military officials, after a Decision of the Council of Minister in 2013, to remove compensation thus abrogating the previous law. More specifically, according to DCM no. 184[1] ‘’Active servicemen of the Albanian Armed Forces, when not treated with cooked food, according to article 1 of this decision, and when they need to be treated with food but the infrastructure is not available, benefit a compensation in money, as follows: a) Active first lieutenants of the Armed Forces benefit 2000 (two thousand) leke per month; b) Active second lieutenants benefit 3000 (three thousand leke) per month and c) Active duty soldiers benefit 4000 (four thousand leke) per month
This decision abrogates the Council of Ministers Decision no. 668 of 2013, that removed food treatment for the military forces of the Republic of Albania. In her speeches, Minister Kodheli, has prided herself with this decision as a means to restore the dignity of the armed forces. While the decision is a positive step, as it reinstates a legal right for this category, from the decision it is not clear where its creators were based to return the compensation in almost ridiculous figures (imagine if an active first lieutenant conducts four services per month, his compensation for each service would only be 500 leke). Secondly, these fixed figures do not allow flexibility to adapt the compensation to market fluctuations. Maybe in designing this decision, they should have considered the Council of Ministers Decision no. 524 of 2004, which allows the Ministry of Defense to set the compensation prices in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, on a yearly basis and considering annual average prices.
Inter-institutional cooperation
A pilot project initiated in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Welfare and Youth, enables students from the Technical – Electric school ‘’Gjergji Canco’’ to further specialize in their field by doing an internship at the Albanian Armed Forces. As a Press Release from the Ministry of Defense declares: ‘’Conducting such internships under the supervision of the military personnel will enable these students to familiarize themselves with the equipment used by the Armed Forces and they will be able to repair their systems and damaged equipment’’[2]. Such investments in combining different professional categories with a meeting point will not only put into practice what the students were taught in theory, it might also affect the work of the Ministry of Defense/Armed Forces as receivers of the chosen students.
[1] PËR DISA NDRYSHIME DHE SHTESA NË VENDIMIN NR. 668, DATË 7.8.2013, TË KËSHILLIT TË MINISTRAVE, “PËR TRAJTIMIN ME USHQIM TË USHTARAKËVE TË FORCAVE TË ARMATOSURA TË REPUBLIKËS SË SHQIPËRISË DHE PËR DISA NDRYSHIME NË VENDIMIN NR. 524, DATË 30.7.2004, TË KËSHILLIT TË MINISTRAVE, “PËR MASËN DHE MËNYRËN E KOMPENSIMIT TË QIRASË SË BANESËS DHE TË USHQIMIT TË USHTARAKËVE TË FORCAVE TË ARMATOSURA TË REPUBLIKËS SË SHQIPËRISË”, TË NDRYSHUAR” Online: http://ëëë.qbz.gov.al/botime/fletore_zyrtare/2015/PDF-2015/34-2015.pdf Fq. 1565.
[2] Artikulii i plote online: http://ëëë.mod.gov.al/index.php/neësroom-2/1027-nje-projektpilot-qe-do-t-i-sherbeje-te-ardhmes-se-fa