Transparency Serbia: Remarks concerning lex specialis

BELGRADE - NGO Transparency Serbia (TS) sent to the government, Finance Ministry and all caucus groups the remarks about the lex specialis regulating the realisation of the Belgrade Waterfront project and requested erasure of certain controversial provisions.

TS stated that the draft law makes room for the signing of the contract on construction of public facilities without public procurement procedures and it also envisages that construction costs should be compensated through the price of construction land maintenance, which is contrary to the provisions of the Public Procurement Law.

In addition to that, the law allows for the cost and date of payment to be established later on and for the payment to be performed as compensation or mutual debts of the contractual sides which is banned in Serbia, TS warned.

Noting that this can result in a detriment of the legitimate interests of other potential bidders and damage to public funds, TS proposed that these provisions should be erased.

With some other remarks, TS concluded that it would be best if the government withdrew the lex speicalis from the procedure.

Photo Tanjug, N. Jovanovic (illustration)