The lack of transparency at public tender contests and auctions to privatize public property leads to promotion of corruption and double standards, said representatives of civil society who launched a campaign entitled “Countdown to fulfillment of the Government’s promises: 7 days – 7 priorities”.
In a public debate staged at IPN, National Participation Council chairman Sergiu Ostaf said that heated discussions on the leasing out of the Chisinau International Airport and the transfer of the state-owned holding in Banca de Economii under private ownership have taken place lately.
According to Sergiu Ostaf, the legislative framework of Moldova was adjusted to the international standards on the management of privatization. But there is also the aspect of transparency, where things do not stand well. Both the law on public procurement and the law on the sale of public property regulate well the process, but do not ensure transparency.
National Participation Council policy adviser Elena Terzi said the official website of the Public Procurement Agency contains information about the held auctions, but this information is concise. There is published no data about companies that took part in the auction, the reasons for which some of the companies were disqualified, how the companies were selected, what conditions and implementation clauses the contract includes, etc. There is also no information about the acquisitions made by the local public authorities.
According to Elena Terzi, the situation as regards the sale of public property is worse. There are only two sources from which information about the sales can be obtained – the website of the Public Property Agency and the website of the Ministry of Economy, but the data there are outdated and incomplete.
The representatives of civil society said the barriers erected in the management of the given procedures point to the existence of preferences as better conditions are offered to particular companies. There is no sufficient political will to make the legislation on public procurement and privatization of public property transparent. The National Participation Council informed the executive about the necessity of amending the legislation in 2012, but nothing has been done yet.
Civil society suggests creating a platform that would contain comprehensive information about privatization and auctions and amending the legislation regulating the public procurement and privatization of public property so as to ensure the transparency of the two processes.
The debate was held within the campaign “Countdown to fulfillment of the Government’s promises: 7 days – 7 priorities”.
