She also emphasized recent cases of detention of military enlistment office employees for extortion and bribery in the At-Bashinsky and Kara-Suu districts, as well as in Bishkek, Osh, and Manas.
Surabaldiyeva noted: "The government has failed to tackle corruption, but now it wants to take the authority to set the fees into its own hands. At the same time, cases of suicide continue in the army. The Ministry of Defense says: 'He hanged himself' or 'He shot himself,' while the mothers of the deceased conscripts claim that these cases are not being investigated. How can the Cabinet of Ministers have the moral right to raise the fees? How are we supposed to explain this to the citizens?"
A representative of the Ministry of Defense, responding to questions, reminded that all men who reach the age of 18 are required to serve in the military; however, conscripts are not obligated to pay for alternative service, as this right is granted to a limited number of citizens, including those with minor health issues such as low weight, myopia, and hemorrhoids.
According to him, the current fees do not cover the costs for one serviceman, including logistics, clothing, food, and salaries for instructors, hence the proposal to increase the fees.
Surabaldiyeva also questioned why fines for evading service are increasing tenfold.
The representative of the Ministry of Defense replied: "They leave for other countries or regions."Surabaldiyeva added: "If there were no hazing and suicides, no one would run away. People are afraid to serve. Maybe this is the reason? I believe that everyone should serve, but the sale of certificates for alternative service is unacceptable. Discipline must be maintained. However, the bill was presented at an inappropriate time. Imagine how a single mother will gather funds for the fees, and then the government raises them just before the draft. The parliament should approve the prices, as it consists of 90 deputies elected by the people," she emphasized, inquiring whether salaries in the ministry had been raised in the last five years.
A government official responded that salaries had been increased by 100%. The amount of the official salary depends on the length of service and rank: a lieutenant receives 60,000 soms, while a colonel can earn up to 100,000 soms.
As a result of the discussion, the committee members supported the concept of the bill by a majority vote, while Surabaldiyeva voted against it.
