the state Treasury submitted on Friday its report with the title ”When planning meets reality” to the defence minister. He gave in February of this year mission to examine the försvarsekonomin when the armed Forces requested an additional € 18 billion for the years 2019-2021.
as parliament decided on Wednesday so get the armed Forces in the next few years their requested extra supplementation 3, 5, and 10 billion years 2019-2021. But there will be a brief respite.
time and Time again it has been shown that försvarsekonomin bursts. The politicians decided on cost more than expected. The military likes to talk about that försvarsbesluten are under-funded while the politicians questioning how the militants expect.
the state treasury report has the subtitle ”the armed forces ‘ internal management, steering and follow-up”. However, the report shows that there are weaknesses in the whole ”styrkedjan”, from the parliament and the government to the armed Forces and the Swedish Defence materiel administration.
the annual state budget must be geared up and get better so that resources are used effectively, according to the state Treasury. The government should also be clearer in expectations. Defense department contacts with the armed Forces ”should be systematized”, proposed in the report.
Cooperation between the armed Forces and the Swedish Defence materiel administration, purchase of defence equipment, also need to be better. Today, there is a ”överplanering” which are hampering the economic governance. The government should ”develop the governance of the stock – and logistikförsörjningen,” suggests the state Treasury.
On the other hand, means the parliamentary and governmental control of the Defence forces, opportunities to lead your business effectively is made difficult, the report said.
the state Treasury points out the risks that the business is underfunded, or that it expressed a bit more diplomatically: ”the Government should ensure that new policy decisions are fully funded and achievable”.
the national financial management authority showed in a report a month ago that försvarsanslaget should be increased by a further 3-4 billion per year. Total missing 88 billion up to the year 2025 for the stock that is purchased or included in the plans.
One explanation of it is a big ”materielberg” with deferred investments on a total of 168 billion by 2030, according to the materielutredning presented in February.
” I have seen it as important to take up the old, inherited, problems in förvarssektorn to the surface for us to be able to develop the governance and tackle the economic problems. We have no reason to hide something or sweep something under the carpet, ” says Peter Hultqvist.
” It is clear that we also need to develop our ways of working. Clearly. But then it is good to get such an analysis from the Swedish agency for public management page. This is such an extensive work, so you should not lose time, but try to take action as quickly as possible.
” I think it is a matter for a government that can act with full force. At the same time, we take the received this report now so the Defense department can internally start to process the questions already now, answer the secretary of defense.
Peter Hultqvist believes that it is a problem that försvarsdebatten is ”fixated on the money, and funding levels”.
– There is no doubt that the armed Forces need increased funds, which they will also get. However, many people want to forget about the problems with the financial control and the need to improve management. We must also work with ekonomihanteringen and must be done continuously, ” says Peter Hultqvist.
