Mali: Money the least problem when it comes to compulsory military service

BELGRADE - Serbian Deputy PM and Finance Minister Sinisa Mali says funding is the least problem when it comes to the idea of reinstating compulsory military service and notes that there should be "no question about money" in that regard.

He says putting army barracks back into use would be a boost to local economies and cities.

"If we invest in reconstruction of some army barracks, we are still investing in our country. The construction industry gets some money, people get jobs and VAT, or any other tax, goes to the budget," Mali said in an appearance on a Pink TV talk show on Sunday.

He noted that a strong Serbian army was a guarantor of peace and freedom and added that, in the present global security situation, it would be irresponsible not to think about Serbia's security and about strengthening its army.

"Today, we are investing a hundred times more than we were just 10 or 15 years ago, and our army is a hundred times stronger - if not more - than it was only 10 years ago," he said.

"If we want to preserve our independence - and our policy is clear as we do not want to be a part of any military alliance - a strong army is a guarantee of that," Mali said.

He said reintroduction of compulsory military service would be subject to a public debate as the government believed not having an open discussion about the matter would be irresponsible.

"We will open a debate and we want to point out the advantages of all that. We need to strengthen the sense of belonging to Serbia and the cult of the flag and the national anthem," Mali said.