The Ministry of Defense (MoD) has estimated that the State Defense Civil Service (VACD) would pay around half a million euros for the first group of conscripts to Latvia, according to the report prepared by the MoD for the government.
As a result of the working group, three main directions of development have been identified, how to introduce the alternative service more successfully.
The first direction envisages the implementation of VACD in the subordinate institutions of the Ministries of Welfare, Internal Affairs, and Health.
The second provides for the development of VACD service positions only in institutions subordinate to the Ministry of Defense.
The third variant envisages the combined version, that VACD is initially introduced in civil institutions subordinate to the MoD, but in the long term VACD implementation in their institutions would also be offered by other ministries.
Taking into account that VACD is initially expected to have a small number of employees, as well as the establishment of the VACD service in several institutions subordinated to the ministries, even for such a small number of people, would require not only extensive time resources, then the Ministry of Defense has offered to implement the alternative service in civilian subordinate institutions of the Ministry of Defense. In this way, it would be possible to ensure a more predictable and easier implementation of the SAD, since both military and non-military types of service would be concentrated under the authority of the MoD at the initial stage.
The State Defense Military Facilities and Procurement Center (VAMOIC) is responsible for the management of real estate owned by the Ministry of Defense, state military defense facilities and real estate leased for the purposes of state military defense, and the implementation of environmental protection measures in them, as well as organizing the construction of state military defense facilities.
Considering VAMOIC’s scope of responsibility, this institution could be offered to perform VACD in areas such as real estate management and infrastructure maintenance of National Armed Forces bases. A total of up to 50 VACD conscripts could be employed in the mentioned positions.
The State Defense Logistics and Procurement Center (VALIC) ensures the full management of the logistics cycle of individual equipment, from procurement planning to the utilization of material and technical means, including centralized procurement for the needs of the Ministry of Defense and the Army.
At the same time, VALIC also provides warehouse management, which means that VACD operators could mainly be offered to perform service in positions such as driver/forwarder, ensuring the delivery of material and technical means between warehouses, as well as a warehouse worker, which would include assembling equipment and material and technical means, processing documents, organizing the warehouse and other work tasks. VALIC would be able to offer 20 positions to fulfill these duties.
The Latvian Geospatial Information Agency (LġIA) is the leading institution in the implementation of state policy in the field of geodesy, cartography and geospatial information. LGIA acquires, prepares and updates basic geodetic and cartographic data, as well as provides geospatial information services.
Almost all employees of the agency need a higher education in geodesy, cartography, land surveying or another related specialty. If there is no such education and special training, the servicemen are involved in low-skilled jobs, moreover, in those where there is no contact with sensitive geo-information.
For example, a surveyor is designed for up to two places.
The service would involve constant trips to the field five days a week, digging, removing bushes around the geodetic points. The service could also be performed
For example, cartographers would participate in lower-skilled jobs at cartographic events. However, taking into account the specifics of LGIA operation, the added value provided requires that the user has an understanding of geospatial information. This means that you must be a student in geodesy, cartography, land surveying or another related specialty or have completed this course of study.
In total, LGIA could accommodate up to 15 VACD practitioners, taking into account that work in cartography requires basic knowledge or understanding of geospatial information.
As for positions requiring higher education, this would mostly apply to the part of SAD youth who would have left the service.
The War Museum is the leading institution in Latvian military history research. Although the tasks of the museum are specific and require specialization, it could provide four service positions, where the servicemen would work in the museum’s storage, carrying out accounting work and preservation of historical materials.
In total, 89 service places for VACD performers could be provided in the civilian subordinate institutions of the MoD per year, mainly offering low-skilled jobs. This type of work would be done by young people of SAD conscription age, spending 11 months of service 40 hours a week.
Institutions subordinate to the MoD do not have the possibility to provide accommodation or meals, therefore these expenses should be covered from private funds. Where possible, the VAD Department will consider placing young people in a VACD closer to where they live, thereby reducing costs for transport or meals.
VACD conscripts would be paid a monthly compensation of 300 euros, an allowance of 1,100 euros, at the end of the service, a monthly compensation of 140 euros for transport
expenses, as well as 15.37 euros per month in state social insurance contributions for unemployment and pension.
In total, the costs for the implementation of the VACD for 89 conscripts would be 543,707 euros.
Depending on the subordinate institution, the costs could be slightly higher. For example, in the case of VALIC, a set of work clothes and training for an electric forklift driver are relevant.
Upon completion of VACD, youth will be placed on active reserve lists for five years. This means that these individuals can be called up for reskilling in the same way that those serving in other forms of SAD will. Duty assignments in training will be equated to duties performed during VACD.
Currently, the Saeima Defense, Internal Affairs and Corruption Prevention Commission is reviewing the draft law on SAD submitted by the MoD. During the commission’s discussions, a proposal was made to submit additions to the VACD section in the SAD bill for the third reading, thus ensuring that one law would cover both military and civil service.
Taking into account the limited time left for the development of the draft law, it is not possible to submit the proposals of the draft law on the VACD inter-institutional solution in a qualitative and comprehensive manner, according to the Ministry of Education.
In addition, the implementation of VACD in subordinate institutions of other ministries is not possible within the current state budget and, accordingly, additional funding would be required.
The current capacity of this model significantly exceeds the initial number of VACDs, so the time and financial resources invested in the implementation of the model are not appropriate for the potentially small number of VACDs initially serving.
Taking into account the above, the MoD urges the government to support the model, which provides for the implementation of VACD only in institutions subordinate to the MoD.
VACD in subordinate institutions of the MoD ensures immediate implementation of VACD within existing resources. In addition, the MoD has already prepared the initial VACD proposals for supplementing the SAD bill for the third reading, thus providing a solution to the objections of the Ombudsman and Saeima’s legal office regarding the implementation of SAD in a non-military manner.
It is important to take into account that in order to start the implementation of the SAD on a mandatory basis in January 2024, the VACD bill should enter into force in May of this year at the latest. Therefore, the solution proposed by the MoD solves, in terms of time and resources, the problems related to the development of the SAD bill and the implementation of the SAD.
At the same time, it should be taken into account that the implementation of VACD in institutions subordinate to the MoD does not exclude the possibility of flexibly switching to another, broader VACD model in the future, in which the service would gradually be offered by other ministries.
Among the many advantages of this model, the MoD has also pointed out certain disadvantages, namely that only the defense sector is strengthened in this model. Likewise, a person who strongly does not support the military environment may have to serve in an environment that is, to a greater or lesser extent, related to it. Accommodation and meals will also not be provided at the place of service.
It has already been reported that the Defense, Internal Affairs and Corruption Prevention Commission of the Saeima will continue to review the draft law on the National Defense Service this week.
The wording already supported by the Commission for the second reading provides that SAD military service can be performed in one of three ways – 11 months in the regular forces of the National Armed Forces or the National Guard unit, five years in the National Guard as a whole, performing service tasks for no less than 21 days of individual training and no more than seven collective training days every year, or by studying the reserve officer program intended for university and college students over a period of five years, with a total training and duty performance time of no less than 180 days.
Citizens – men will be subject to SAD within one year after reaching the age of 18, or if the citizen continues to receive education (except for higher education) – within one year after graduating from an educational institution, but no later than until reaching the age of 24.
Male citizens up to the age of 27 would be subject to the SAD, if the basis for the postponement of the national defense service established in the decision on the postponement of the national defense service has disappeared.
Citizens – men and women – from the age of 18 to the age of 27 can also voluntarily apply to the military service of the State Defense.
So far, the drafts supported by the commission provide that persons subject to the SAD, who cannot perform the military service of the state defense due to their thoughts, conscience or religious beliefs, will be able to replace it with the civil service of the state defense.
Earlier, at the meeting of the Defense Commission, State Secretary of the Ministry of Defense Jānis Garisons said that the SAD is planning to accept about 300 young people in the first summer recruitment this year. The first recruitment is planned on a voluntary basis.
