The cost of repairing the Army Museum has increased due to mistakes that the defense could have prevented

Prague - The reconstruction cost of the Army Museum in Žižkov, the headquarters of the Military Historical Institute, has increased by at least 28 million crowns due to errors in the project documentation that the Ministry of Defense could have prevented. This is evident from the findings of the Supreme Audit Office (NKÚ), which audited the ministry's management from 2016 to 2020 in connection with the tasks of the historical institute. In most cases, the auditors found this management to be purposeful, economical, and in compliance with legal regulations. Deficiencies were identified by auditors in the planning of expenditures and the preparation of construction investment actions.

According to the ministry, additional work on a nearly billion-crown contract cannot essentially be ruled out, but they are currently negotiating project documentation defects with its developer. "The identified defects will be sanctioned in accordance with the contract with a contractual penalty," the ministry told ČTK in response to the NKÚ findings. The Defense Ministry has also revised the contractual documents based on NKÚ recommendations and will update contract templates, including those for the preparation of project documentation, and will develop a methodology for working with the new contract templates.

The reconstruction of the Army Museum in Žižkov began in 2018 and was initially scheduled to cost nearly 724 million crowns; however, according to NKÚ findings, additional work has increased the price by 192 million crowns. "Part of this additional work arises from objective and unpredictable reasons that could not be anticipated at the time of project preparation. However, additional work worth at least 28 million crowns stems from errors in the project documentation that the Ministry of Defense could have avoided," stated NKÚ in a press release. According to them, this was mainly due to insufficient or inaccurate definition of the type and quantity of construction work. The auditors also warned that the final cost of the museum's renovation could be even higher, as it was not completed at the time of their inspection.

The audit office also examined the construction of four multifunctional halls at the Military Technical Museum in Lešany. Although the project study estimated a cost of 280 million crowns excluding VAT, the ministry set the costs at 163 million. Last year, the investment project was terminated due to a lack of funds and added to the financing plan starting in 2022.

According to NKÚ findings, the goals of the Ministry of Defense regarding the Military Historical Institute (VHÚ) are not being met. Every year, these plans have been significantly altered, and investments are not being completed within the established deadlines. In addition, the office did not set appropriate criteria for evaluating some objectives, which in some cases were merely formal or factually incorrect, according to NKÚ conclusions.

Total expenses of the military institute amounted to approximately 1.3 billion crowns during the monitored years 2016 to 2020, of which 698 million was for operating expenses and 620 million for investments.

After repairs, the Army Museum in Prague's Žižkov is expected to triple its exhibition space and offer a new area for social events, including concerts and conferences, in a covered hall. The original plan called for the completion of reconstruction work around the turn of 2020 and 2021. Afterward, the expected date was pushed to 2022. Prior to the reconstruction, the VHÚ first transported its collections to new storage facilities in Lešany near Prague, and then VHÚ staff also moved to temporary premises.