Galko: Data on 75-pecent Participation of Slovak Firms A Myth

Bratislava, November 21 (TASR) – The Defence Ministry’s data claiming that Slovak companies will participate up to 75 percent in the production of 8×8 military armoured vehicles and up to 80 percent in the production of 4×4 military armoured vehicles is a myth, stated Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) vice-chair and former defence minister Lubomir Galko after a parliamentary defence and security committee session on Tuesday.

Defence Minister Peter Gajdos (a Slovak National Party/SNS nominee) at the session informed the committee members behind closed doors about the procurement scheme for armoured vehicles for the Slovak military, which was approved by the Government last week.

“So far, they’ve been saying that 75 percent of the money related to 8×8 vehicles and 80 percent from 4×4 vehicles will remain in Slovakia. That’s not true. If you buy some components abroad and put them together here, you cannot count the money for their purchase as being part of Slovak participation. We aren’t questioning it when they buy abroad a quality piece that they can’t manufacture at home, but we doubt that this should be counted as made in Slovakia,” said Galko, calling on Gajdos to give the public the correct figures on the Slovak industry’s participation in this regard.

Galko went on to say that the Defence Ministry provided the Opposition with a great deal of information and figures that couldn’t be verified immediately. The Opposition asked the minister to provide a detailed analysis of the matter so that all suspicions could be dispelled.

The Opposition at the session also proposed to adopt a resolution requesting information on when and what Slovak companies have been addressed vis-a-vis the production of the military vehicles as well as to unveil the property backgrounds of these companies. The coalition legislators, however, stood up and left the session, leaving the committee unable to form a quorum.