At a press conference today, defence minister Martin Glvac is pointing an accusing finger at his predecessor Lubomir Galko and former prime minister Iveta Radicova, as the Ministry of Defence signed a 4-year MTPL insurance contract worth around EUR 9 million for the ministry’s cars, while Galko claims it should have cost more like EUR 5 million.
As Galko had already been recalled as from his post by the PM over a wiretapping affair, the Ministry was officially led by Iveta Radiova at the time the contract was signed. Galko is therefore content to pass the buck and also take a poke at Radicova, as he told TASR newswire that they should query her and that as far as he was concerned, it was impossible to imagine that some clerk could sign a EUR 9 million contract without the head of the Ministry knowing about it, i.e. Radicova.
In his own defence, Galko pointed out how the Ministry had managed to save EUR 60 million in the short 11 months while he led it. Even so, the procurement process in question was launched back in July 2011, while Radicova did not start caretaking the Ministry until December 2011. After she took up the post, Radicova froze all pending public procurement at the Ministry, so does not understand why the MTPL contract was eventually signed, right after the March 2012 elections.
Speaking to TASR newswire, Radicova denies signing such a contract, as she had not granted any exceptions to her freeze on procurement at the Ministry. “It’s one thing to continue with tenders that need to be concluded, but another thing to conclude the cotnract. I did not allow that” Radicova opposed.
Afghanistan Ghost trains!
Yes, well Glvac is set to cancel the tender and the winning insurer Allianz is willing to negotiate better conditions. Not sure which vehicles exactly it refers to.
The contract was signed on Glvacs’ watch – his problem.
Is this insurance for miltary vehicles? If so it is very strange and not the standard practice in the rest of the world. Most Govts. indemnify their miltaries and the individual vehicles and drivers are not insured. Instead they take out some form of liability insurance that covers the peacetime activities of the vehicle fleet. If a military vehicle is involved in an accident AND it is decided the service driver is at fault, the govt. compensate the injured party and the driver is punished in both civil and military courts. In this way the Govt. doesn’t have to pay premiums and only compensates legitimate claims, which works out a lot cheaper. I would hate to think what the 3rd Party, Fire and Theft premiums would be on a tank!
No doubt here in the Sk, military vehicles also have to have toll, technical inspection and emissions stickers – another waste of tax payers money.
If this insurance contract is only for the vehicles supplied to the civil servants in the MOD, then someone needs to learn how to negotiate fleet insurance and establish why so many pen-pushers and non-jobs need “company cars” and rethink the size of the fleet.
9 Million instead of 5 Million to insure the cars these Govenment officials drive??? What, are they all driving Ferrari or Lamborghinis? I can insure my car for under 1100 for the year… so how many cars does the government actually own? I would also like to know if every vehicle owned by a government official is for official business?
This is a just another thing these creatons don’t need to pay for that the tax payers pick up the tab for! I also like how they all have private drivers in the Parliament… Like they can’t get behind the wheel themselves and drive to the shop for their overpriced clothing allowance!
so no one admits signing it, it must be forged, why not revoke it!!!!
So the contract was signed after March 2012 when the new goverment was in power, Lubomir Galko was not in charge of the dept as he was recalled in July 2011 and Radicova took charge in Dec 2011, so who signed the contract and why is Martin Glvac pointing fingers when it was signed in March 2012 when he was in charge?