The technicians of the Senate Budget Service express doubts about the coverage of the Arms decree. The provision being examined by Palazzo Madama extends, until 31 December 2023, subject to the addressing act of the Chambers, the authorization for the transfer of military vehicles, materials and equipment to the Ukrainian government authorities.
Lighthouse on the resources with which to cover the sale of vehicles and equipment
In a dossier published in these hours, the Budget service draws the attention of the legislator to the aspect of coverage and resources with which to deal with this sale of vehicles and equipment. In particular, the technicians observe, it should be clarified «whether the sale of military vehicles, materials and equipment referred to in the law in question does not in itself determine a greater need due to the need to replace the goods sold, or, if the Armed Forces . (the Armed Forces, ed.) will be able to meet their functional needs, even without the equipment in question”.
The financial neutrality of the measure
A clarification that is appropriate considering that, according to the provisions of the decree, “the implementation of the provision does not result in new or greater burdens on the public finances, taking into account that the materials and means to be transferred are already available to the Ministry of defence, while any charges connected to them will be borne within the resources available under current legislation”.
How to cover the transport costs?
Furthermore, the technicians of Palazzo Madama continue, «as regards the transport costs of the material being transferred free of charge to the Ukrainian authorities, clarifications should also be requested regarding the costs to be incurred, for which the resources already foreseen should also be indicated pursuant to the legislation in force through which it will be dealt with”.
The line already expressed by the Court of Auditors
In the report, the Senate technicians emphasize what has already happened in similar cases, and in particular on the “critical considerations formulated by the Court of Auditors regarding the option for devices to cover new or greater charges whose coverage is envisaged charged to the means that are already provided for by current legislation, for which – the document continues to read – the reasons for the diversity of financial effects envisaged for the cases of free assignment should be clarified, bearing in mind that the extended provision provides for the adoption of one or more interministerial decrees for the purposes of the specific identification of the military means, materials and equipment that will be subject to the transfer, as well as the methods of implementation of the same. Decrees – concludes the Palazzo Madama Budget Service – for which a specific parliamentary verification procedure is not envisaged with regard to the financial effects”.