PUBLIC PROCUREMENTS GO ONLINE
Less cost, more transparency, increased competition and efficiency in using public money
TIRANA, April 17, 2008 Bids for a fully electronic procurement were opened today, April 17, 2008, in a public ceremony, attended by Prime Minister Berisha and U.S. Ambassador, John Withers II. This procurement to buy IT connectivity for seven central government institutions, was run by the newly established Central Procurement Body at the Ministry of Interior. It is the second fully electronic procurement to be carried out in Albania; the first was held on April 9, 2008.
The Albanian Government turned to e-procurement as part of its efforts to improve transparency, efficiency and accountability in public procurement, while combating corruption and promoting fair competition among business. The e-procurement system (EPS) provides a web-based platform for online public procurement procedures in Albania. Accessible through the Public Procurement Agency (PPA) portal, www.app.gov.al, the system was built based on EU requirements and meets high international standards in ease of use and security.
The EPS now includes all public tender notices in Albania. Bidding documents and notices posted at www.app.gov.al, can be downloaded for free by interested businesses, which can now submit their bids online. By eliminating paper files and simplifying procedures, e-procurement saves Government contract authorities up to 50-80% of the cost of the average paper procurement.
Six public institutions have now issued twelve tender notices through the EPS, including five from the Ministry of Defense, two from the Ministry of Culture -- to reconstruct the International Cultural Center and National Library -- as well as from the Ministry of Environment and the National Registration Center, with values in goods and services varying from 1 million to 1.58 billion Lek.
Prime Minister Berisha emphasized that e-procurement will benefit the Government, the business community, and ultimately the public. Ambassador Withers commended the Government of Albania for introducing e-procurement, which he predicted that “will be viewed both within and outside Albania as a positive change for the business environment in Albania and an added incentive for investors.”
The e-procurement system was developed as part of the two-year Millennium Challenge Albania Threshold Agreement between the Government of Albania (GoA) and Millennium Challenge Corporation (www.mcc.gov), administered by USAID, which assists the GoA to reform and modernize tax administration, public procurement and business registration.
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