Chief of Defence lashes out at efficiency requirements set by government for armed forces
Admiral Kaskeala says conscription system in danger, cuts may erode defence capacity
Juhani Kaskeala
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Finland’s Chief of Defence, Admiral Juhani Kaskeala, has strongly criticised the government’s efficiency plan, which calls for spending cuts and reduction of personnel, which would also apply to the Defence Forces.
Kaskeala made it clear that further reductions in the defence budget would hurt the development of national defence and make the system of compulsory military service ineffective.
Kaskeala warned that Finland’s defence may be undermined by governmental productivity requirements. The commander feels that the matter is so important that it must be discussed in Parliament.
Kaskeala spoke at the opening of the latest National Defence Course in Helsinki. His criticism is related to talks held by the Ministry of Finance and other government ministries on the improvement of financial efficiency.
According to the Ministry of Finance, the Defence Forces must shed 2,400 jobs by 2011. Half of the money saved would go to the Defence Forces, but half would be used to cover other expenses.
The Ministry of Defence does not accept this. It has announced that personnel can be reduced by 1,200 people, as was agreed in the defence budget of 2004, but that the money saved in this way has already been allocated to military projects, as was originally agreed.
The Ministry of Finance will make a statement on the spending of each government ministry in early February. Decisions should be ready at a government meeting scheduled for early March, when isues concerning national budgets for the next few years are to be settled.
Kaskeala pointed out that the Defence Forces have been rationalising operations for over ten years. Ten garrisons have already been closed, and five more are to cease operations in the near future.
By 2011, personnel will have been reduced by one fourth, from over 20,000 to about 15,000.
If the benefit of the rationalisation were taken away from the Defence Forces, it would completely destroy all chances of long-term development, says Kaskeala. "It would mean changing the security and defence plan passed by the Parliament only a year ago."
Defence Minister Seppo Kääriäinen (Centre) also spoke about Parliamentary decisions on defence politics at the opening of the course. He demanded that the main decisions be written down more clearly in the next government programme of 2007.
The government is scheduled to make a new defence policy report in 2008. Debate concerning the report is seen to be the next opportunity for airing the question of possible Finnish membership in NATO.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 24.1.2006 - TODAY |
 Chief of Defence lashes out at efficiency requirements set by government for armed forces
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