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Add to Preferred SourcesThe EBRD, with support from the UK government, is launching a technical cooperation programme in Bosnia and Herzegovina to improve public procurement practices. The project will enhance efficiency, improve transparency and promote competition in public procurement – crucial elements of a well-governed economy.
The programme will focus on strengthening the institutional capacity of the Public Procurement Review Body (PPRB) of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an independent institution responsible for monitoring the application of the public procurement law, and guaranteeing the protection of tenderers’ rights.
Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted a new law on public procurement in 2014, which is being implemented to comply with EU directives. In the same year, the EBRD signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the government that focuses on improving the efficiency and transparency of public procurement with policy and legal advice, technical cooperation and capacity building. Under this agreement the Bank helped, for example, to enhance training in public procurement by supporting a management master’s programme for civil servants.
The new project, funded by the UK government through its Good Governance Fund, will include technical assistance to establish a faster and more efficient appeals process which is currently suffering from high volumes of complaints. This will include the adoption of a compendium of legal complaint cases, based on best practice from the wider region, which has been proven to be an effective tool to reduce the number of cases and to share knowledge of legal practice in procurement.
In addition, the project will pilot an IT solution to digitise the complaint mechanism, which should enable quicker and easier access to complaint cases, and faster and more efficient resolution while ensuring the protection of complainants’ rights through increased transparency. Specialised training will also be provided to the members of the PPRB in order to increase its capacity for resolving complaint cases efficiently.
Overall, the programme will contribute towards developing a modern and efficient public procurement system that will cut administrative costs, strengthen a predictable investment climate and consequently increase investors’ confidence.
Source: EBRD. Read full article here.
20 June, 2017