Herem to start defence ministry role with warehouse review

Martin Herem will begin his term as Estonia’s defence minister by examining the military’s warehouse accounting process, ERR reported. He said he wants to identify the obstacles preventing the system from complying with accounting rules and develop new solutions without dismantling measures already underway at the Ministry of Defence.

“The reasons for this disorder must be found. If we have not managed to solve it over several years, perhaps things need to be done differently,” Herem said on ETV’s First Studio programme.

He said additional inventories would not fix the system. They only confirm that items recorded a month earlier are still present, he said, while leaving the underlying process unchanged.

Herem added that the military could not continue using the old system and might need to change its procedures to adopt a new system from the civilian sector.

He said the current criticism from Auditor General Janar Holm appeared to stem from the fact that Holm did not see the situation improving.

Herem says information can reduce fear

Herem said his aim as minister was not to spread fear of war, but to provide adequate information to strengthen the country’s and society’s preparedness.

He identified strategic depth, the Baltic defence zone and public communication as key issues. He said Estonia needed to clarify the Baltic Sea’s role in a crisis or war, including what would happen to trade. The Baltic Sea carries 60 percent of Estonia’s trade, while 80 percent of Finland’s trade passes through it, he said.

Herem said the Baltic defence zone involved more than digging trenches. It also included obstacles, hospitals, energy, communications, accommodation and catering. He said businesses should be informed about these needs as both a task and an opportunity to help ensure survival during a crisis or war.

“Fears arise mainly because people do not know what may happen or what the solutions are. If people know all this, they are not as anxious,” Herem said.

Herem said he could not yet name the new chancellor of the Ministry of Defence because the person had not given consent. He said the ministry’s chancellor could have a background at the ministry, either as a current or former employee.

He ruled out former ministry official Kusti Salm for the position.