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Defence Investment Agency to be revamped under ‘new minister’
The update sets aside $103.8 million over five years as the agency takes on major military purchases and broader procurement oversight.
On Tuesday, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne's fiscal update pledged legislation to upgrade the Defence Investment Agency into an independent body operating under a "new minister" with increased authority and budget.
Currently overseen by Public Services and Procurement Minister Joël Lightbound and Secretary of State Stephen Fuhr, the agency was established last fall to accelerate military purchases worth more than $100 million.
The fiscal update allocates $103.8 million in funding over five years plus $22 million annually. CEO Doug Guzman told MPs on Monday that work is underway to "separate it" from the procurement department.
While legal changes will upgrade the six-month-old office to an independent agency, the government has not explained how its political oversight will change, raising coordination concerns for procurement decisions.
Tuesday's update did not detail plans to reach NATO's steep commitment of spending 3.5 per cent of GDP on core defence by 2035. The Department declared Canada is "on a path" to meet this target.
A new bill to strengthen the powers of this organization will be presented. The post Greater autonomy for the Defence Investment Agency appeared first on Les Affaires.