This is how the ministry responds to the State Control audit, which evaluated the acquisitions of armaments and military equipment in the national defense system for 2021–2025.
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“The State Control audit (…) confirmed what has been talked about for years: the procurement system operated without clear deadlines, without separated responsibilities, and without effective monitoring,” R. Kaunas announced on the social network Facebook on Friday.
According to him, the share of unfulfilled purchases, which increased up to 59%, did not form over a short period, as the defense procurement cycle lasts not months, but years.
“Therefore, today we see the result of decisions made and not made earlier,” said the minister.
According to the Ministry of National Defense, to accelerate acquisitions, a review of the legal acts regulating public procurement has already been initiated, procurement monitoring, risk management, and internal control are being strengthened, and project management is being improved.
The ministry is also developing a mechanism that would allow for more operational procurement of armaments and military equipment in case of mobilization and war.
Procurement data of the national defense system has begun to be managed in a single Procurement Management Information System. The Defense Resources Agency, Infrastructure Management Agency, and the Core State Telecommunications Center have been granted the status of central purchasing organization.
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An inter-institutional procurement method justification commission has also been established, and specialized public procurement efficiency evaluation indicators are being set.
The Lithuanian Armed Forces, in turn, are updating capacity development plans according to current needs and the security situation, strengthening the competencies, motivation, and career opportunities of procurement specialists.
R. Kaunas asserts that problems in the procurement field were ignored in 2021–2025, and necessary changes were not implemented.
“The audit conclusions confirm that we are implementing changes in the national defense system in the right direction,” says the minister.
In this year’s budget, Lithuania has planned to allocate 5.38% of the gross domestic product (GDP) to defense, about 4.8 billion euros. Country officials state that next year the share of GDP allocated to defense should also be no less than 5%.
