Bulgaria’s Public Procurement Agency To Be Transferred under Finance Ministry

Bulgaria’s Public Procurement Agency, which is currently accountable to Economy Minister Bozhidar Lukarski, will be transferred to the portfolio of Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov, according to a set of draft amendments to the Public Procurement Act.

The legal changes, as cited by the BGNES news agency, have been released for public debate.

The proposal is related to the optimization of the implementation of the national strategy for the development of the public procurement sector in 2014-2020.

The transfer of the Agency from the Economy Ministry to the Finance Ministry is also explained with the need to improve oversight of the different stages of public procurement procedures.

At present preliminary control is exercised by the Public Procurement Agency, which is under the Economy Ministry, while post-control is a responsibility of the Public Financial Inspection Agency and the Executive Agency Audit of European Union Funds, both of which are under the Finance Ministry.

Another reason for the transfer is related to the planned introduction of e-procurement and the need to establish a single electronic platform to be administrated by the Public Procurement Agency.

The only functioning Central Public Procurement Authority (CPPA) is currently under the Finance Ministry.

The CPPA has already launched activities related to the creation of an electronic platform for centralized procurement.

“At the same time it is necessary to achieve interoperability and functional compatibility so that the two platforms work in connection with one another. This is why the transfer will minimize organizational, financial, and administrative risks,” according to the motives.

The draft amendments to the Public Procurement Act are to be adopted by the government in mid-May, after which they will enter Parliament.

The legal amendments will be reviewed under a fast-track procedure so that they can enter into force in a few months’ time.
Meanwhile, Bulgarian authorities are working on a new Public Procurement Act, which is to enter into force in the first half of 2016.

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