MoD presents the 2017 Procurement Plan

Alongside the Croatian Deputy Prime Minister and the Defence Minister Damir Krstičević and the staff of the Ministry of Defence and of the Croatian Armed Forces, the presentation was attended by the members and the Chariman of the Defence Committee of the Croatian Parliament Igor Dragovan, the representatives of the Parliament’s National Council for Monitoring of the Anti-Corruption Strategy and its Deputy Chairman Anđelko Stričak, the Chairperson of Transparency International Croatia Davorka Budimir, the representative of the Centre for Peace Studies Gordan Bosanac and the representative of the Partnership for Social Development  Munir Podumljak.
 
The Deputy Prime Minister and the Defence Minister Damir Krstičević appreciated the officials for attending the already traditional presentation of the Procurement Plan of the Ministry of Defence. “The current Government has  since its appointment insisted on enhanced integrity, responsibility and transparency in all domains as well as on improved system of financial management and control, as well as on the analysis of the implementation and supervsion of the use of the funds“. The Minister also reminded of the pre-procedure involvement of the Parliament’s Defence Committee in the procurement  procedures  for defence purposes exceeding 5 mil EUR, and by extension in financially demanding processes, in keeping with the Defence Act.
Minister Krstičević said that the 2017 defence budget has risen by nearly 400 mil kuna. Addressing the public procurement subject matters and procedures, the Minister underlined the reduced number of the procurement subject matters designated as confidential. Prior to 2012 the portion of confidential subject matters exceeded 50% of the overall Procurement Plan. The past years have also seen improvements in the classified procurements and the transparent notice of the procurement plan at the Ministry of Defence website
In 2016 the confidential subject matters totalled 2.6%, and received close  scrutiiny in 2017, as demonstrated by the fact that the current plan contains no classified procurement procedures.
 
“The Ministry of Defence conducts some 1000  procurement procedures on an annual basis; transparency is at once the statutory obligation, our common interest and orientation“, said the Minister, concluding with the statement that the focus in the year 2017 would be on the improved the living and working conditions of enlisted soldiers, NCOs and officers and civilian employees, to facilitate their contribution to the development of capabilities required for participation in the operations, exercises, training and in support to the civilian institutions and population of the Republic of Croatia.
 
The Plan was presented by Branko Pribolšan, the Head of the Public Procurement Sector of the Ministry of Defence, who underlined the successive improvements increasing the transparency of public procurement procedures.
The Ministry of Defence presents its annual procurement plans on its website, to enable the potential contractors prepare for the tenders of their choice. It has also adopted the internal rules delineating the responsibilites of the staff assigned with the preparation and implementation of public procurement procedures and the separation of the functions within the procedures themselves whereby the drafting of the procurement request, the technical specifications and decision making on the award of the contracts are assigned to different persons.
The Chairman of the Defence Committee of the Croatian Parliament Igor Dragovan praised the continuing acoountable and transparent management of the public funds, demonstrating the seriousness, responsibility and good will.
“We have today seen a well-concieved public presentation of a highly complex process that  public procurement for the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces along with the planned acquisitions. It should be followed by other government bodies and public institutions of the Republic of Croatia, as this is the model that guarantees the positive work outcomes of the Ministry of Defence “. 
Anđelko Stričak of the Croatian Parliament’s National Council for the Monitoring of the Anti-Corruption Strategy welcomed the approach taken, in view of the substantial funds allocated for the human resources.
Munir Podumljak of the Partnership for Social Development praised the presentation of the Plan in the Ministry of Defence and the displayed flowchart as good practice at the national and international levels.  
The Ministry of Defence’s Financial Plan for the year 2017 has been aligned with the State Budget for the year 2017 and totals 4 385 mil kn (ca EUR 582 mil ).
The 2017 Procurement Plan outlines the amount of ca 1 700 mil kuna (ca EUR 226 mil) for the procurement and sustainment items, accounting for  40% of the Ministry of Defence’s Financial Plan for the year 2017.
The secured funds for previous commitments, such as pluriannual funding, artitration and conciliation services, utility expenses, and procurement projects performed abroad for the purpose of peace support operations total  470 mil kuna (ca EUR 62 417 mil), and the secured funds for procurement amount to ca 1 300 mil kuna (ca EUR 1 726 mil).
The continuing projects include the construction of the inshore patrol vessel, acquisition and overhaul of self-propelled PzH 2000 Howitzers  the procurement of the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters, the construction of the command facility in the Barracks “Pk Predrag Matanović” in Petrinja and the accomodation facility in the Croatian Defence Academy “Dr. Franjo Tuđman” in Zagreb.
The major projects to be performed in 2017 include the continued procurement of explosive ordnance, the overhaul of the Mi-171Sh helicopters, the procurement of engineer machines and equipment, military trucks and water tanks, MRAP vehicle parts, the M-84 tank upgrade, the signal equipment, the construction and renovation of facilities, gear and footwear.
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