Gov't passes memorandum mandating state-own enterprises to bid in public auctions

The Government approved a memorandum on Thursday mandating state-owned enterprises to participate in public auctions.

"It is a memorandum that increases (...) competitiveness of the majority or wholly state-owned companies through public procurement procedures," said Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici at a news conference at Victoria Palace.

He noted that the first measure in the memorandum concerns the drawing up by the relevant public bodies of a complete list of business operators in with the state is a majority or sole owner, by domains, subdomains and activities authorised by statutes.

"A second measure - will be made when publishing an order of the chairman of the National Agency for Public Procurement under which the contracting parties are placed under an obligation to submit, after publishing the announcement of participation in the Electronic Public Procurement System, an invitation to participate in the process of public procurement to each of the business operators on the list," Teodorovici said.

He added that a third measure in the memorandum regards the fact that the relevant public bodies will mandate the state representatives on the administration boards and the general shareholders' meetings "in order to decide on the obligation of the business operators to submit bids and to participate in the organised public procurement procedures conducted by the contracting authorities from which they receive the invitations."

At the same time, Teodorovici specified that there is also the point of view of the Competition Council on this memorandum.

On the other hand, he talked about the plans of the Ministry of Finance in the field of centralised public procurement.

"We will aim for those products, equipment, goods (...) that have the highest share (...) in total expenditure. And here we have worked with the European Investment Bank; there is an analysis that is well founded for certain types of products - (...), medicines, fuels, (...) for which we will start this centrally. The piece of legislation to enshrine (...) this new mechanism is now under final debate at the Ministry of Finance," Teodorovici said. AGERPRES (RO - author: Madalina Cerban, editor: Mihai Simionescu; EN - author: Corneliu Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)