“The question is probably (…) leadership, just looking at where we want to look for that leadership. Here, it is primarily a question of the leadership of the central government, because if we do it with such household goods, means and whatever is at hand, civil security falls, (…) It turns out the way it turns out. We have made stickers, we go and stick them on what we see,” K. Budrys told “Žinių radio” on Tuesday.
He emphasized this when the Ministry of Internal Affairs presented on Monday the Civil Protection Strengthening and Development Program, which foresees how the country’s civil protection system will be created by 2030, the network of shelters will be expanded, and the population warning system will be developed.
However, according to K. Budris, the Government still lacks consistency, as well as clear priorities in ensuring civil safety. For this, according to the president’s adviser, she should have prepared a long-term program for strengthening state security already last year.
“Of course, additional funds are needed for both the warning and information system, the evacuation, as well as what is related to the protection of the population, the shelter,” added the presidential adviser, speaking about the delayed installation of the shelters.
True, according to him, difficulties in the implementation of the civil protection program can also be caused by the fact that it is entrusted to different institutions.
“Another important thing is that the work is organized in such a linear way and that there is no need to correct the work done before, as with the inventory of shelters. We had one registration, (…) we inventoried, reviewed, and now we have the Construction Technical Regulation, which lists the requirements (…) If we now review and re-invent those marked covers, probably not all of them would meet . This is not bad in itself, if it happens consistently”, explained K. Budrys.
He also emphasized that in order to ensure civil safety more effectively, greater cooperation between the central government, local government, business and non-governmental organizations is needed.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, shelters are currently installed in Lithuania, where 36 percent could hide. or 1 million population.
In the LRT radio debate on Monday, President Gitanas Nausėda testified that he misses the greater cooperation of the Cabinet of Ministers with municipalities by installing civilian shelters in them. In addition, according to him, the Government currently ensures civil safety “at the speed of a turtle”. However, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė emphasized the work already done and said that she felt the lack of involvement of the municipalities themselves in civil security.
