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
For the 13th consecutive year, homeless people in the town of Ruse will receive a free hot meal during the winter months. The social kitchen of the Bulgarian Red Cross opens its doors again in the biggest Bulgarian city on the Danube River. It has a..
Experts from the Ministry of Transport and Communications are proposing the division of Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ) into three lots. According to them, this is a first step toward a more efficient and modern railway transport system, reported..
The flu season is expected to peak at the end of December and the beginning of January. In an interview with BNT, general practitioner Dr. Gergana Nikolova clarified that there are currently isolated positive cases of influenza. COVID-19 also..
The Institute for Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Technology at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski has made available for free use the..
Overnight it will be mostly clear. Winds will weaken and die down in many areas. In the morning it will be cold, with minimum temperatures between minus..
Rumen Radev's visit to Vietnam began with a meeting with the community of Vietnamese citizens who have studied and worked in Bulgaria - representatives..
Mostly Cloudy
Partly Cloudy