Sanja Lukarevska asks to withdraw draft Public Procurement Law, warns of corruption risks
Lukarevska singled out raising the single-source limit to €10,000, removing Bureau approvals and higher complaint fees as risks for abuse.
SDSM MP Sanja Lukarevska asked the Assembly today to pull the draft Public Procurement Law from the agenda, citing several objections raised by the opposition.
Key changes that alarm the opposition
She warned that the proposal raises the threshold for single-source procurements (direct awards without a tender) from €5,000 to €10,000. Lukarevska said this would allow "every minister, mayor, director of a public enterprise, every official" to spend €10,000 of public money without having to answer to anyone.
The draft also removes the obligation to seek approval from the Public Procurement Bureau for contracts awarded without a public notice, which, according to the MP, opens the door to an unlimited number of direct awards concluded without oversight.
Another change increases the fee for filing complaints against procurement procedures from the current €5–200 to €150–600, a step Lukarevska said is aimed at discouraging especially small companies from challenging procedures because it will become costly.
She also warned that the proposal eliminates the "lowest price" criterion from procurement evaluations — a move she described as dangerous and a pathway to corruption. During her speech she addressed the parliamentary majority and the minister present for the second consecutive budget rebalance, asking: "Will we again have bulls of 100,000 euros?"
The draft additionally proposes that access to public procurement information held by the Bureau become a paid service, removing the free access currently available to journalists and citizens.
The governing majority led by VMRO-DPMNE did not vote to withdraw the draft. Listed as item 12 on today’s agenda, the bill is expected to be approved by VMRO-DPMNE without problems.
Photo: SDK.MK)
