Defense delegates the purchase of military clothing for USD 831,530 to the Navy

The Minister of National Defense, Gian Carlo Loffredo Rendón, delegated to the general commander of the Ecuadorian Navy the execution of the entire procurement process for the acquisition of textile clothing for professional military personnel, with a referential budget of USD 831,530.70 excluding VAT. The decision is contained in Ministerial Agreement No. 387, published in Official Registry No. 402 on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, in its Executive Branch section.

The instrument was issued in exercise of the powers of the Organic Administrative Code, the Organic Law of National Defense, the Organic Law of the National Public Procurement System (LOSNCP), and its General Regulation. The Ministry of National Defense justified the measure based on the need for naval personnel to have adequate equipment for military operations, surveillance tasks, CAMEX controls, and the security and custody of strategic infrastructure.

The threshold that necessitated express delegation

The Seventh General Provision of Ministerial Agreement No. 132, dated April 2, 2025, amended by Ministerial Agreement No. 327, dated September 1, 2026, allows the general commanders of the Forces to request express delegation from the minister for special regime processes exceeding USD 540,945.26. The budget for this purchase exceeds that ceiling, therefore the General Commander of the Navy requested authorization via official letter ARE-COGMAR-CDO-2026-1802-O, dated September 28, 2026.

The procedure is supported by a necessity report dated September 9, technical specifications dated September 10, a market study dated September 11, and a reasoned report dated September 28, 2026. The General Coordination of Strategic Goods Procurement issued favorable report MDN-CGCBE-DPC-2026-040-INF, dated October 1, 2026, and the minister ordered on October 5 “AUTHORIZED TO CONTINUE PROCEDURE”.

9,852 garments in two types

The contractual object, according to the file, comprises:

• 867 units of Type 1 Textile Clothing, intended for admirals, captains, and second, first, and chief petty officers on active duty.
• 8,985 units of Type 2 Textile Clothing, for operational personnel from frigate captain to frigate ensign and from first sergeant to sailor.
• A total of 9,852 garments, which include personnel scheduled for incorporation or promotion in December 2026.

The Navy argued that it lacks the infrastructure, machinery, and specialized personnel for the industrial manufacture of these garments; therefore, it plans to process the purchase as a special regime under the inter-administrative modality with FAME S.A., pursuant to numeral 6 of article 38 of the LOSNCP. The pro forma invoice from that company served as input to establish the referential budget.

Deadlines, phases, and responsibilities

The delegation covers the preparatory, pre-contractual, signing, and contractual or execution phases, in accordance with articles 140 and 141 of the General Regulations of the LOSNCP. The maximum deadline provided for the delivery of the goods is 60 calendar days starting from the day following the signing of the contract.

The agreement further stipulates that the supporting information and documentation, the technical-economic justification, and compliance with the requirements shall be the responsibility of the officials who intervened in the process. The regulation is effective from its signing and orders its publication in the Ministerial General Order and in the Official Registry, a procedure handled by the Ministry’s General Secretariat Directorate.

The file contains a discrepancy in figures: memorandum MDN-CBE-2026-0358-ME records USD 831,535.82 in one passage, while the technical report and the agreement set the amount at USD 831,530.70. The coordination report itself recommended verifying the consistency of the preparatory documentation and correcting inconsistencies before initiating the procedure.

The purchase is of interest to the textile sector and public procurement monitors: the management of a special regime process of nearly one million dollars is awarded to a single military authority, with a planned provider from the defense sector and documentary responsibility concentrated in the units that prepared the file. The level of expenditure execution and compliance with the delivery deadline are now under the control of the Navy of Ecuador.

Source: Official Registry No. 402, Year II, Quito, Wednesday, November 4, 2026, Section I (Executive Branch – Agreements), p. 17 (official reference: Ministerial Agreement No. 387).