MoD to Increase Salaries
Georgian Defense Minister Gela Bezhuashvili said on May 23rd that starting in August, minimum wages the ministry employees will be increased five-fold.
?From August 1st, minimum wage salaries for the civilian personnel of the Defense Ministry will be increased to 100 Lari [USD 50] per month. This is five times higher than currently,? Bezhuashvili said at a news briefing on Sunday.
He also said that starting from 2005, minimum salaries for the junior officers will also be increased. ?All lieutenants will receive 400 Lari [USD 200] beginning in 2005,? he added.
At the moment, the soldiers and officers serving in the US-trained units have the highest salaries in the Georgian army ? USD 200-300.
?Differentiation in salaries which exists in the army at the moment, is absolutely intolerable; that is why we will increase salaries for those officers and soldiers did not participate in [US-funded program],? Gela Bezhuashvili told the reporters.
