More businesses complaining over tender procedures

TIRANA, May 1 – The business community filed last year hundreds of complaints over tender procedures with the Public Procurement Advocate (PPA), an independent institution defending bidders’ rights through monitoring and investigating public procurement and concession procedures.
An annual report the watchdog has prepared for 2009 showed a considerable number of tender violations by public institutions, municipalities and communes.
The Public Procurement Advocate requested the reholding of 143 tenders and reassessment of bids in 67 other tenders because of irregularities it observed.
Violations included starting tenders without determining the investment fund, announcing winners without examining bidders’ complaints, companies failing to meet technical conditions to carry out the investment, favouring of companies and other illegal procedures.
The report has identified abuses in public procurements held by the Albanian Power Corporation (KESH), roads directorates, prisons, education and health institutions.
“These hasty actions lacking transparency not only severely damage the public’s confidence in state authorities, but also severely damage the economic interests of tax-payers, because in most cases the winners are those offering the highest bids,” said the report.
The Procurement Advocate is also concerned over the Public Procurement Agency which has not taken into consideration recommendations to improve the tender procedures.
The Public Procurement Advocate examined a total of 526 complaints by companies opposing decisions by contracting authorities or the Public Procurement Agency.
The watchdog said it monitored 59 public procurement procedures.
Last year, the Procurement Advocate examined 120 complaints more than in 2008 considering the bigger size of public investment made in the electoral year of 2009.