site.btaParliament Adopts Conclusively Public Procurement Act

Parliament Adopts Conclusively Public Procurement Act

Sofia, February 2 (BTA) - Parliament Tuesday adopted conclusively a new Public Procurement Act, tabled by the Council of Ministers. Under the new provisions, a standing methodological council will work to standardize practices to enforce procurement controls under the law. The council will comprise representatives of the National Audit Office, the Public Procurement Agency and the Public Financial Inspection Agency.

The new act will take effect on April 15 2016 except for several provisions. Until then, the Council of Ministers will have to adopt rules to implement the law.

Speaking during second-reading debates on the act, Deputy Prime Minister for EU Funds Tomislav Donchev said that corruption wasn't fought with ideological cliches or spells but with good laws and working institutions. Donchev said that this is a law and not a manual of procedures and that rules for its implementation are about to be drafted.

Donchev said that the new law had been written for six months by a working group, which included more than 40 experts from all ministries. It was put up for a public debate and more than 700 proposals were taken into consideration.

With regard to speeding up public procurement Donchev said that in 2015 a total of 11,000 public procurement contracts were awarded, of which only 7 were speedy. Procurement corruption is not due to larger competition and the admission of more bidders but to the early elimination of bidders with better prices and terms, said Donchev.