Sega contends in a front-page headline that the Ministry of Defense is short of cash for new appointments while job contests are underway for 500 openings. According to an unnamed source the problem is that 6 million euro has been taken from the money for wages and has been spent on increased rations of the army and of civilian staff of the Ministry, as of early April. On 15 March, the minister of defense said that until then the Interior Ministry staff was being paid 120 leva (60 euro) a month for food, while army staff was being paid 90 leva (45 euro) but that the amounts would be equalized. Sega remarks that the financial problem arises at a time when the army has made a fresh attempt to recruit personnel for its emptying ranks and that its fighting capacity is at stake after the failure to recruit nearly 740 soldiers in 2016.
In the meantime, there have been personnel changes at top positions of the Ministry of Defense recently, as the caretaker administration term is running out, the newspaper explains. Former defense minister Todor Tagarev was released on Friday from his post as Director of the Bulgaria Defense Institute. Sources from the Defense Ministry report that Tagarev has been released over "replacement of tactical and technical assignments"in theprojects for purchasing a new type of fighter and armored vehicles for the Land Forces. The personnel change took place after Gerb, the party that won the snap elections, called on the caretaker government to end all political dismissals and appointments. It has also transpired that caretaker Defense Minister Stefan Yanev has appointed the head of his office Rumen Vasilev to act as permanent secretary of defense – the highest civil post at the Ministry of Defense. A few urgent job contests are reportedly underway at the Ministry for key positions, and the deadlines for their completion have been fixed ahead of the new government’s taking office. Finally, Sega recalls that Gerb has warned that all unscrupulous appointments made by the caretaker administration will be revised by the new government.
Compiled by Stoimen Pavlov
English Daniela Konstantinova
The Kalotina border checkpoint on the border with Serbia has already been renovated and has a nearly 30% increased capacity for passenger cars. It has seven lanes each for entering and leaving the country, as well as another eight lanes that can be..
On Wednesday minimum temperatures will be between 2 and 12°C, 5°C in Sofia. Maximum temperatures will be 19-24°C, 21°C in the capital. In the higher plateaus of western Bulgaria there are conditions for frost. The day will be bright and sunny with light..
The second group of 60 Bulgarians who wanted to leave Lebanon has taken off from Beirut to Sofia onboard the governmental Airbus. The plane is expected to land in Sofia after 7 pm. The second group of Bulgarians is ready for evacuation from..
A State Aviation Operator crew is standing by to fly to Lebanon as soon as the phased evacuation of the Bulgarians there is given a green light. This..
Bulgaria has begun evacuating our fellow citizens who expressed a desire to leave Beirut following Israel's attacks on Lebanon. Some of the Bulgarians..
The speculations of a rise in the price of sunflower oil in the coming months due to the poor harvest in the country will not come to pass, Vladimir..
+359 2 9336 661