(Tbilisi, June 20, Civil Georgia) – The Parliament initiated today first hearing of the draft on amendments in the law on military service.
A draft seeks to reform the system of compulsory drafting and introduce the military fee, which would allow bailing out from the service. According to the draft each person could pay a fee of 200 GEL (approximately USD 100) to delay the service for a year.
Georgian Defense Minister stated at the Parliamentary session on June 20, that the draft would enable Defense Ministry to accumulate up to 16 million GEL (approximately 8 million USD) annually. The most of the MPs agree with the principles of the draft.
The new draft does not imply the ability to fully bail out from the service. Every 26-year-old male citizen will be obliged to undergo 6 or 12 month compulsory training, and join the military reserve.
According to existing laws, each 18-year-old male citizen of Georgia is obliged to serve in the Georgian armed forces. However, numerous loopholes exist for evading conscription and drafting to the army fails to reach the target figures year after year.
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