BRATISLAVA, February 6, (SITA) – Less than a month since launching the “hotline” 0960 960 960 directly to the office of Defense Minister Lubomir Galko, where suspicions of corruption can be reported, over one hundred complaints or motions have been recorded on its answering machine. As of January 7 of this year, all persons, not only those working at the Defense Ministry, can leave a message to the defense minister, who is the only one with access to the phone. “All these motions show that the line has completely fulfilled its objective,” minister Galko commented, adding that callers do not just complain about incorrect procedures, but also offer suggestions how to improve the operation of the ministry and the Armed Forces.
Galko mentioned one case as an example, which was promptly resolved thanks to the phone line. “A decision on a claim for service pension of a former soldier was delayed by several months. The former soldier was facing distraint proceedings, as he had nothing to pay his bills from and had a wife and two children to provide for. We immediately asked for correction and he was given the decision,” Galko said. “A human existence has to be seen without every decision,” Galko said. The ministry concluded by saying that the motions he gets on the answering machine show that people really trust the Defense Ministry, which makes the department very happy.