Russia's new measures to enhance military members' sense of honor

Source
China Military Online
Editor
Chen Lufan
Time
2020-02-25 23:57:54


The picture shows a Russian Military outlet store.

By Li Zishi

Feb. 25 -- According to Izvestia, a daily broadsheet newspaper in Russia, the Russian Defense Ministry decided to launch a new policy that will entitle national award-winning service members to up to 20% discount when they shop at specific stores using their salary cards issued by contracted banks.

Russian banks flock to join the program

According to a source in the Russian Defense Ministry, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has signed an agreement with the public joint stock company Promsvyazbank to provide shopping discounts for Russian servicemen who joined the bank’s salary program. Other banks in the country, including GazpromBank, Sberbank and VTB Bank, also expressed willingness to issue special salary cards relevant with this favorable policy.

The Russian military has also carefully selected the retailers that implement this policy, with Russian Military and Store for Service Members joining the pilot run. Russian Military is a chain store specializing in military-style clothing and accessories and dedicated to promoting the Russian armed forces, a healthy lifestyle and patriotism, while Store for Service Members is aimed at making shopping easy and convenient for troops serving in remote areas, especially the troops stationed in overseas regions like Syria.

It is learnt that the Russian Defense Ministry is in talks with X5 Retail Group, a leading Russian food retailer, whose Karusel hypermarkets last May said they will offer 5% discount on all goods for national award-winning Russian service members who buy with credit card. The ministry is also talking with institutions like the Gazprom bank in hopes of lengthening the list of contracted institutions in the future.

The program brings benefits to multiple parties

Military personnel, banks and retailers will all benefit from this program, said Andrey Karpov, executive director of Russia’s Retail Companies Association.

The new policy will help contracted retailers to attract more customers and make more profits. The contracted banks will demonstrate their service level and capability to the customers, enhance their loyalty and gain more businesses. Service members will get tangible benefits from the policy in return for their loyal service.

The shopping discounts for the awarded service members will further enhance their sense of honor and motivate them when serving the country in the future, said a professor at the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, adding that there should be both moral and material rewards.

The Russian Defense Ministry has adopted a series of preferential measures in recent years to raise its servicemen’s sense of honor. For instance, contract service members can take a vacation at sanitariums affiliated to the defense ministry and are entitled to free medical care when in service.

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