Pandemic/ Veliaj, 21 Tenders In 45 Days Of Quarantine
Nga OraNews Përditësimi i fundit 20 Gusht 2020, 14:32
From mid-March to the end of April, according to a MAPOsurvey, it turns out that the Municipality of Tirana has conducted about 21tenders, among which the tender of 24 million ALL for the purchase of souvenirsor another 16 million ALL for the purchase of drinkable water stands out forthe administration, although depending on Veliaj is the water supply of Tirana.
Meanwhile, it gives 300 million ALL for "consultingservice" for the pastures of "Peza", "Sheshi" and"Kërraba", while the state budget lacks 1.2 billion euros.
Although we were at the height of the pandemic, theMunicipality of Tirana, seems to have been one of the institutions that hasconducted more tenders, perhaps even the institutions themselves that had toface directly COVID-19.
A survey conducted by the newspaper MAPO on the websiteof the Public Procurement Agency (PPA) has shown that only in the period,mid-March - end of April, this institution has conducted at least 21 tenders,some of which could have been avoided in this difficult period.
Thus, it turns out that when Albanians left their jobsdue to quarantine, the Municipality led by Erion Veliaj organized a tender forthe purchase of souvenirs in the amount of 2.4 million new lek or 24 millionold lek.
The tender referring to the bulletin was announced onMarch 17 and opened on March 23. Also, in the same period, a tender is openedfor the reconception of the Zoo, worth 9.9 million ALL, or thereconceptualization of the playground on Rruga e Elbasanit, worth about 30million ALL or 300 million old lek.
Others are road reconstructions or the purchase ofdrinking water for the administration of the Municipality in the amount of 16million ALL, although it depends on the institution of the Municipality and theWater Supply Company that should provide drinking water for the inhabitants ofthe city.
In 45 days of quarantine, the Municipality of Tirana hasconducted at least 21 tenders worth millions of euros. Many of them showed noemergency.
The tender
The pandemic caused damage of nearly 1.2 billion eurosand a debt increase of more than 10 percent, due to quarantine. But it seemsthat the state institutions continue to act as if we are in normal conditions.
Below is another tender of the Municipality of Tirana,worth about 30 million ALL held in August of this year (300 million old lek),where it is a "consulting service" that has to do with the draftingof plans breeding of the forest and pasture fund for the forest economy"Peza," Shesh "," Kërrabë-Gurrë "".
In fact, the tender has been open since December 2 lastyear, but the winner has been announced now. The procedures took place duringthe pandemic and at the time when Prime Minister Rama asked the institutions tocancel unnecessary tenders.
These sums of money are spent at a time when manyfamilies are still in economic difficulties due to job losses or those who arewaiting for the institutions to rebuild the houses damaged by the earthquake.
Of course, the city works constantly require tenders,such as cleaning or an emergency road, but the breeding of the pasture fund,for "Peza", "Square" or "Kërraba", could be doneat another time.
The same could be done also with the purchase ofsouvenirs that took place at the height of the pandemic, the reconception ofthe Zoo and so on. Here we are not mentioning the tenders of the Parks andRecreation Agency, which have the luxury to spend not less, but 6.4 million ALLfor toy modules and others like these. This institution on the official websiteappears under the auspices of the Municipality of Tirana.
Abuses
Meanwhile, yesterday the media talked about two otherdubious tenders at a time when the state budget has received a strong blow.
The first concerns the National Agency for InformationSociety (NAIS), where the director of this institution has conducted a tenderfor the tracking of tax inspectors, worth about 1.2 million euros. So settingup GPS to see in real time where tax inspectors are. A meaningless tender, asthe work of the tax inspectorate becomes planned and at any moment, it is knownwhere they are and where they are conducting audits.
Another denunciation was made for ARA, where the mediatalk about a damage of almost five million euros on the road leading toPorto-Romano in Durres.
Procedures
In fact, if you take a closer look at the recenttenders, you will see that many of them are done through a "negotiatedproposal" procedure. This is a procedure commonly used for emergencies,but it is not known why hiring a physical storage company should be done withthis procedure and exclude other companies, as this is the purpose of thetender.
This procedure is mostly observed in the purchase offuel for institutions, in the purchase of food for kindergartens and nurseriesor in the maintenance and purchase of hospital equipment and products. Whichmeans that the tender continues to be held by the company that has always hadit. Not infrequently this is a tool of abuse and a way to take bribes from theleaders of institutions, tolerating entities that then abuse the prices ofgoods sold to institutions.
This practice has been noticed in the Municipality ofTirana, especially in cases when it comes to road disinfection or the purchaseof anticovid devices for its employees. /gazetamapo.al
