Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama declared that 70 percent of public tenders from 2020 and in the first half of 2021 encountered problems when compiling their criteria.
During a meeting with the ministerial cabinet and heads of contracting institutions, PM Rama emphasized that 20% of these institutions did not react nor reflect on the recommendations made by the Public Procurement Agency.
“During 2020 and in the first six months of 2021, there were 57 administrative investigations launched by the procurement agency. What matters is that problems have been encountered in calculating the ceiling of the funds, and qualification criteria that have no connection whatsoever with the contract. It has been evidenced that economic operators were qualified and declared winners in cases when they didn’t fulfill the criteria. For these reasons, 41 workers have been fined and another 92 received a disciplinary measure”, PM Rama said.
In addition, the head of the executive warned his cabinet and the director of the respective contracting institutions that in case they fail to respond to the recommendations of the Public Procurement Agency, they will be investigated by SPAK.
“Even if it happens that in a single case those recommendations fall into deaf ears and no response is provided as if the Public Procurement Agency seals those letters inside a bottle and throws them in the open sea only to expect that the sea will deliver them, every case like that will go to SPAK”, stressed Rama.
The Prime Minister also spoke about a new legal package on public procurements, which according to him clearly addresses the necessity to increase the integrity and responsibility requested by all parties involved in the process, as well as strengthen monitoring and punitive mechanisms.
“The new legal package aims exactly to give contracting authorities and the Albania state new efficient means, guaranteeing a regulating framework for public procurement in Albania in line with European legislation, as well as addressing all the various findings and recommendations from international organizations”, concluded PM Rama.
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