Transparency International Ukraine urges officials to make changes to the procedure for procurement of goods, works and services for curbing COVID-19 and to approve the version by the Ministry of Economic Development. The procedure passed by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on Saturday only further complicates procurement.
On Friday, the Cabinet of Ministers passed a Directive regulating anti-pandemic procurement. It contains a list of goods, works and services which are to be included into this category and the procurement procedure.
Unfortunately, instead of simplifying procurement of critical goods and medication in the emergency, this directive only complicates the procedure. It stipulates:
- making changes to the annual procurement plan;
- announcement of the procurement;
- negotiations and verification of participants;
- holding the procedure 48 hours after the announcement;
- reporting in Prozorro.
This means that procurement of critical goods or services will take at least a few days.
The electronic procurement system Prozorro will need to be seriously adapted to the new procedure. Procuring entities will not be able to use the new procedure right away. With the pandemic-related crisis, it is necessary to make emergency procurement feasible within one day.
TI Ukraine urges the Cabinet of Ministers to make changes to the directive and pass the procurement procedure in the version suggested by the designated department of the Ministry for Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine
