Combating Corruption in Procurement Macedonia - 2017 Aleksandar - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Combating Corruption in Procurement Macedonia - 2017 Aleksandar Argirovski

How is corruption measured • Complex issue without an exact answer • Perception of corruption vs. corruption

What can be done? • Policy measures • Preventive and repressive measures • Control measures • Remedies • Partnership among government, business and civil society

Policy measures – key issues: • What thresholds should be used? • What control mechanisms to be introduced? • Should the market be opened for foreign companies? • How to strengthen confidence in the procurement system?

Preventive measures - PPB • Tools for increasing transparency and competition • Increasing human capacity at contracting authorities and economic operators • Strengthening the overall confidence in the procurement system

Tools PPB uses to increase transparency • Using e-procurement: – to facilitate access to tendering opportunity thus increasing competition – to make public information about winners – to enable civil society and the general public more aware about what’s going on

Efforts PPB undertakes to increase human capacity • Mandatory certification of procurement officers • Production of high-quality manuals, especially for e-procurement • Other capacity building activities in cooperation with business associations etc.

Repressive (penal) measures • PPB has no repressive authority • Number of criminal offences stipulated in the Law – do not seem to work • Follow up on State Audit reports – do not seem to work • Key issue is the capacity of law enforcement and prosecutors to prosecute procurement related crime

Control measures • Using e-procurement tools for automatic control of contract notices and reporting obligations • Notices of procedural irregularities • Ex-ante control of tender documents – Public Procurement Council

Remedies – State Appeals Commission • Our remedies system is largely in line with the EU Remedies Directives • State Appeals Commission is independent body responsible to the Parliament • Number of appeals is decreasing

Government, NGO, businesses partnership • Deficit in confidence culture of dialogue between government and civil society seems to be present everywhere in our countries • What can we do to fix this? – Improve the legislative process

Thank you for your attention! http://bjn.gov.mk https://e-nabavki.gov.mk