Deliveries are going according to plan: SLO told about the supply of food to the Armed Forces under new contracts
Kyiv • UNN
Last week, 300 trucks with food started delivering to military units across Ukraine under the first contracts signed by the State Logistics Operator, ensuring that the armed forces will not go hungry despite attempts by some companies to disrupt the process.
Last week, food supplies for the Armed Forces of Ukraine began under the first contracts signed by the State Logistics Operator, 300 trucks have already been delivered to military units.
In fact, the very signing of these contracts was at one point in question. After all, some companies tried to challenge the tender conditions in court, and later disrupted the bidding process by withdrawing from it.
In order not to jeopardize the food supply of Ukrainian soldiers, the SLO had no choice but to sign direct contacts.
How has the process of food supplies for the Armed Forces of Ukraine started, do all suppliers fulfill their obligations, is there a threat that certain forces will try to disrupt the supplies in any way? This was discussed in an exclusive interview with UNN by Yakym Kovalenko, Director of Supply Management at the State Logistics Operator, in an exclusive interview.
- We can say that the contracts were signed in close to combat conditions, because the SLO was actually at war with companies that wanted to keep the old system. Are you currently communicating with suppliers about their readiness to deliver products?
"The State Logistics Operator maintains regular communication with all contracted suppliers on the status of supply organization to promptly resolve any issues that could impede the timely receipt of supplies by military units.
Immediately after the contract was signed, the SLO team inspected the suppliers' production facilities. These are real companies that operate in the market and have all the objective grounds to fulfill their obligations in a quality manner and in full.
All 5 companies (Cherkasy Meat Processing Plant, Busky Cannery, Tviy Khlib, Food Grand, and Yug Prod Trade) work 24/7, and quickly set up all processes. We get feedback from them that deliveries are going according to plan.
- Will the supply start in all regions of Ukraine at once, or will it be a phased process?
Last week, the first deliveries of food took place in accordance with the applications received by the SLO from the chiefs of food departments.
These are approximately 300 trucks with food that have been delivered to military units across Ukraine. Further deliveries will be made regularly at the request of military units.
- What measures will be taken if there is a serious threat of supply disruption, either due to objective reasons or fault on the part of any of the suppliers?
Contracts are written in such a way that each sector for which a supplier is responsible consists of mandatory and optional areas. Each area is assigned to several suppliers at the same time to minimize risks and ensure continuity of supply. If a supplier is unable to deliver on time for some reason, the delivery is made by another supplier to whom this area or areas are assigned as additional.
- What types of products, such as bakery products and water, are planned to be contracted directly from producers and supplied by them in the near future?
As of March 28, the SLO purchased bottled water directly from producers. As for bread: the first deliveries of bread will be made under the catalog. At the same time, auctions for the purchase of bread from the manufacturer were held, and the qualification of suppliers who offered the most cost-effective commercial offer is underway. Until contracts are signed with suppliers, the Armed Forces will be supplied with bread by the companies contracted by the State Defense Ministry for the second quarter.
During the second quarter, we will work on attracting manufacturers in new categories so that a certain number of goods can be purchased separately from the catalog starting from July 2024. Purchasing directly from the manufacturer has been our target model from the very beginning of the SLO 's operation. This approach will reduce the cost of products, as goods will be purchased without intermediaries, and will also increase competition.
- Did the sabotaging firms try to block the process of starting the implementation of new contracts in any way?
We receive signals of attempts to put pressure on new suppliers and manufacturers who supply their products as subcontractors. Mostly, it is intimidation that they will be denied the opportunity to supply the Armed Forces when the old companies "resume supplying". Unfortunately, we also receive signals of wishes from the heads of food services regarding an exclusive list of producers from whom goods can be accepted by military units.
- It can be assumed that there will still be certain shortcomings in the execution of new contracts, and the opponents of the State Defense Enterprise will want to take advantage of this and launch a new wave of information attacks. Are the state defence enterprises ready for this, and what is being done to minimize the risks?
The DOT cooperates with the Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces, the NAPC, and suppliers to promptly identify potential risks and pass on information to the responsible authorities.
We are committed to transparency in our operations. The Public Anti-Corruption Council under the Ministry of Defense took part in the audit of suppliers' facilities, and the procurement and supply process in all areas is proactively covered by the State Treasury Department.
At the same time, we urge you to invest in the country's defense capability, not in paid publications against the SLO.
