The legislation on public procurement has been renewed, but there are no efficient mechanisms for implementing this, while the supervision of the observance of the law is imperfect, says the second report on public procurement monitoring that was presented by the Association for Efficient and Responsible Governance and the Journalistic Investigations Center on June 8, IPN reports.

Expert Olesea Stamate reminded that the new Law on Public Procurement took effect on May 1. Based on the provisions of the new law, there were worked out five regulations concerning the procurement procedures. Several more documents needed for implementing the law are yet to be thought up.

“At practical level, not much changed in the process of organizing public procurement contests. About 99% of the contractors do not have procurement plans, while the Public Procurement Agency, when registering the procurement contracts, continues to impose too many technical specifications that are narrow and often vague,” she stated.

The expert said the incorrect and irrational use of public money in the procurement process is due to the hidden interest of the contractors and to their incapacity. The lack of transparency continues to mark the public procurement process in Moldova. Not all the institutions have special divisions on their websites or the information about procurement is published in other columns.

The Association for Efficient and Responsible Governance also compiled rankings of transparency in public procurement at institutions. Among the institutions that are most willing to provide information about the procurement process and results of tender contests are the Public Amenities Division of the Chisinau City Hall, the Regional Development Agency Centru and the Cahul mayor’s office. Among the least transparent are the National Bank of Moldova, the State Chancellery, the Ministry of Health, the State Agency on Land Relations and Cadaster, the National Health Insurance Center, and the Ialoveni District Council.

Journalistic Investigations Center head Cornelia Cozonac said the government procurement process is often the subject of journalistic investigations. In the monitoring period – December 2015 – April 2016 – this theme was developed in 16 journalistic investigations. The covering by the mass media of public procurement will contribute to increasing the civil society’s control over this important process and to the efficient and appropriate use of public money.