New Law on public procurements generates savings of EUR 300 mil

The Minister without portfolio in the Government of Serbia responsible for EU integrations, Jadranka Joksimovic, has said today that specific effects of the implementation of the new Law on public procurements are savings and smaller procurements which is estimated at some EUR 300 mil.

Joksimovic pointed out that savings generated in a period of a year and some time since the new law came into force, were result of more efficient system as well as better public procurements system control.

According to her, it is necessary that Serbia adopts the Strategy of public procurements development which shows vision of the field development in the next four years and which is very important in the economic part of negotiations in joining EU.

It is very important to adopt the strategy as soon as possible and deliver it to Brussels to save the time we will need to comply with EU completely when it come sto public procurement field – Joksimovic said.

The Head of EU Delegation in Serbia, Michael Davenport, said Serbia reached huge progress in public procurements field when adopting the new law in 2012 and when it came into force in 2013.

He pointed out that in future public procurements will be under special EC monitoring since this field is one of the basics of a unique EU market.

According to him, public procurements should be based on transparency, equal treatment of all participants, free competition and discrimination ban.

Davenport outlined that all public procurement are a subject to anti-corruption and influence decrease in misuse which is, as he pointed out very important since in 2013 in Serbia, 7% of GDP, i.e. tax payers’ funds, was spent on public procurements procedure.

He added that EU will continue providing support to Serbia when it comes to public procurement field and announced new support from IPA funds totaling EUR 2, 5 mil.