Bonus for the police forces: the false good news

The soldiers who attended the speech of the president of the authority of the transition needed few seconds to do the maths. 3.2 billions of ariary announced by Andry Rajoelina to reward the three police force’s sections? Not as dazzling as it looks. 

For 8000 city policemen, 10 000 state forces and more of 15 000 soldiers, from non official numbers, it amounts on average to a few less than… 100 000 ariary per head.  

Nothing to be sulky with. The big scoop for the soldiers would rather be the government’s disengagement which grants to the army a financial independence. For the rise of the wages, everyone will have to wait like all civil servants. 

This bonus for the police forces has been retrieved from the state budget, said the Prime minister. According to Monja Roindefo, the money used to encourage civil servants fits in the 2009 finance law. Austerity only concerns the superfluous expenses, it must not question the bonuses of the state officials again “, it has explained. 

Monja Rondefo insured that the budgetary balance is preserved for the moment and that the government of transition won’t take any risk to create a deficit. How therefore to do without the precious foreign financial partners? 

According to the chief of transition government, some budgetary chapters have been affected to other ends. He mentions the example of the African Union Summit budget and the presidential plane budget which amounts to 80 000 dollars per trip inside the country. 

Andry Rajoelina rewards the army but especially the “mutinous” colonels who allowed him to take the power in March 2009. Colonels Ndriarijaona André and Razafindrakoto Jean Bruno received the torch officially as, respectively, chief of army headquarters and commander of the state police. Colonel Rakotonandrasana Noël is maintained as defence secretary. This fidelity to the army unsung hero colonels provoke today amazement in…General.