State, resources center differ on target level of crisis reserves needed
While Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications Erkki Keldo (Reform) agreed with criticism arising from a recent audit on the national stockpiling center (EVK), the center says warnings were ignored.
The report, compiled by the National Audit Office, found the EVK unilaterally revised crisis reserve targets.
The EVK is a state-owned strategic company responsible for ensuring the existence and deployment of operational reserves and infrastructure necessary for resolving emergencies, safeguarding the country's security of supply, national security and the population's ability to cope.
The audit revealed that although the government has set the goal to feed the entire population for 14 days, the EVK has by its own initiative defined a new goal of feeding 10 percent of the population for one month.
"Unfortunately, during the audit, the National Audit Office did not hear any exhaustive explanations as to why the goal was set to supply exactly one tenth of the population, which is why this objective gives the impression of being plucked out of thin air," said Auditor General Janar Holm.
In addition, the audit noted that roughly two thirds of the EVK food reserves consist of flour. Half of that amount is supplied by the center's contractual partners, in the form of grain, essentially as raw material, meaning it may not be immediately usable in a crisis situation.
The EVK says since 2022 it has drawn the attention of responsible ministries to the fact that, in its current wording and with the funds allocated, the objective of forming adequate food reserves is not achievable.
In a Thursday interview given to Vikerraadio, EVK management board member Priit Ploompuu added that it is difficult for them to store a sufficiently large reserve of prepared food, due mainly to the cost of doing so, especially when factoring in spoilage.
At the same time, Ploompuu explained that the government's expectations for reserves, which the EVK has so far not been able to meet, are anyway too meager for a crisis situation.
"The ultimate goal should actually be something more than just 14 days for 100 percent of the population. The war in Ukraine shows that if we have to be prepared for the worst, it is important that our industry and commerce are resilient and that we can survive a much longer period than those fourteen days," Ploompuu said.
Keldo, whose area, agreed with the criticism from the National Audit Office, though he stopped short of outright criticism of the EVK.
"The EVK has coped well with its tasks: we have food, medicine and fuel reserves in place for crises," adding that his ministry, in cooperation with the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture, is planning to make food production more resilient, without elaborating.
Similarly, problems persist with emergency fuel stations and fuel reserves, the audit found.
While nationwide there are around 60 emergency fuel stations in Estonia, capable of operating even during power outages, while more than 100 stations that have the capability to connect generators, the EVK's website shows only three of these are located in Tallinn, by far the most populous city in the country.
According to Keldo, cooperation is taking place in the development of the fuel station network with the Ministry of Climate and the EVK, though if and to what extent Tallinn stockpiling reserves will be built up was not revealed.
Under the Emergency Act the Ministry of Social Affairs would be responsible for organizing healthcare services in the event of an emergency, including in using EVK reserves.
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Editor: Märten Hallismaa, Andrew Whyte
Source: 'Uudis+'
