ZAGREB, July 28 (Hina) - As of this autumn the implementation of a development plan will commence in the Croatian Defence Ministry and Armed Forces. The plan will be carried out by 2004, but it also encompasses basic guidelines for
the development by 2010. Within this period the Defence Ministry and the Army should totally be re-organised, modernised and reduced in accordance to possibilities of the country and in compliance with international military and democratic standards. The Defence Ministry is to be restructured into an institution with a lower number of the staff as against the current situation. The personnel should cover five sectors: the defence policy, human resources management, equipment and supplies, the financial sector, and the intelligence and security sector. The defence inspectorate and the department for military chaplains will remain as a part of the ministry. The incumbe
ZAGREB, July 28 (Hina) - As of this autumn the implementation of a
development plan will commence in the Croatian Defence Ministry and
Armed Forces. The plan will be carried out by 2004, but it also
encompasses basic guidelines for the development by 2010.
Within this period the Defence Ministry and the Army should totally
be re-organised, modernised and reduced in accordance to
possibilities of the country and in compliance with international
military and democratic standards.
The Defence Ministry is to be restructured into an institution with
a lower number of the staff as against the current situation. The
personnel should cover five sectors: the defence policy, human
resources management, equipment and supplies, the financial
sector, and the intelligence and security sector.
The defence inspectorate and the department for military chaplains
will remain as a part of the ministry. The incumbent security and
information service (SIS) will be renamed as the intelligence and
security agency (OSA).
According to one draft plan, after the re-organisation by 2004 the
Defence Ministry and the Armed Forces will be cut to approximately
205,000 members. Of this, 45,000 will be deployed for the peace-
time purposes whereas 106,000 will be reservists.
Peace-time troops will consist of 26,000-strong active units
(including 12,000 strong guards units), 7,000 civilians employed
with the Armed Forces and 12,000 conscripts.
There will be three inland corps whose headquarters will be in
Osijek, Zagreb and Rijeka, whereas Split will house the command of
the Navy.
According to another draft plan, the Defence Ministry and the Armed
Forces will be cut to 135,000 members. Of them, 45,000 will be
deployed as peace-time units, whereas some 90,000 will be
reservists. There will be four military districts with
headquarters in Osijek, Karlovac, Rijeka and Knin and the command
of the Navy in Split.
The Defence Ministry is intending to curtail a share of the military
budget in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which now comes to 3.14
percent. With the projected increase of the GDP by 4.5 percent
annually, a share of the military budget from the GDP will fall to
2.23 percent. A part of the budgetary means allocated form the state
budget for the military purposes will decrease from the current
9.90 percent to 8.14 percent, Ministry experts maintain.
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