The EU funded project “Strengthening the public procurement system in Bosnia and Herzegovina“, that contributed to the improvement of the public procurement legal framework and enhanced its efficiency and transparency saw its final conference on 25 January 2016 in Sarajevo. The project also assisted the implementation of the new Law on Public Procurement that was adopted in late April 2014.
“In general, billions of euros are spent annually through public procurement and this requires a flexible and at the same time transparent and clear system to monitor the consumption,” said Melvin Asin, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to BiH.
“The European Union has developed a detailed public procurement framework for its member states and countries who aspire to become member of the EU are required to align national legislation with the EU directives“, added Asin, concluding that “BiH needs to adopt the rules of the game of the EU’s internal market if it wants to integrate itself and to become a player in it“.
Since the start of the project in 2014, 18 bylaws were prepared and adopted, 50 training events were held and more than 1300 people were trained in several areas of public procurement. Moreover, 52 certified trainers participated in the training of trainers programme that will form the future core of the sustainable training system in public procurement in BiH.
Director of the BiH Public Procurement Agency, Đinita Fočo noted that the new law introduced a much higher degree of transparency in the public procurement system in BiH.
“The two year project helped us to align the public procurement law, and to catch up with the other countries in the region in this regard“, Fočo explained, adding that now contracting authorities have a legal obligation to publish online all purchases worth more than 6000 BAM.
The project helped development of implementing regulation, training and capacity building, and promotion of integrity for around 1500 individuals that work for contracting authorities, suppliers, auditors, judiciary staff and senior management of BiH institutions. Manuals, guides and practical tools intended to be of help in the effective use of the new law were also prepared within the project.
The EU has funded this project from the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance in the amount of 1,371.760 EUR. The project was implemented by the Planet S.A. in consortium with BIP Solutions Limited and Imorgon Tanácsadó Kft.
