Lithuania should remove regulation in order to encourage the development of arms industry, several officials said on Monday.
In particular, Kęstutis Budrys, chief national security adviser to the president, noted that the Law on Control of Weapons and Ammunition was adopted decades ago and, according to him, is out of date. The law was intended to ensure the safety of an individual, the public and the state, Budrys said, but it no longer meets present-day needs.
“We’ve agreed that the ministries will address this issue by [setting up] a task group and will do the work of changing regulation, the licensing procedure, as we should be more flexible and mindful of the greatest potential, not just to the top risks,” he said during a news conference on Monday, held after a discussion hosted by President Gitanas Nauseda with MPs, cabinet members and business representatives.
He suggested that the government should use “incentive measures” to promote military industry.
“We are now reviewing the obstacles, that are numerous, for companies operating in the Lithuanian defence area,” said Economy Minister Aušrinė Armonaitė during the conference. “There are many restrictions and we want to remove those obstacles so as to provide more growth opportunities for the Lithuanian companies as well as to be able to attract international investors to Lithuania.”
Defence Minister Arvydas Anušauskas insisted that regulation should facilitate, not limit, the development of defence industry.
“It’s time to stop stigmatizing defence industry in our legislative base. It should not be [seen as] in some way exceptional, but just like any other industry,” he said.
Armonaitė promised amendments to the law regulating free economic zones in the country. Currently, free economic zones – that offer tax incentives to investors – are closed to industries producing or selling arms, ammunition or explosives.
According to the minister, the existing prohibition is just one of the obstacles to developing the arms industry.
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