Parliament approves public procurement amendments allowing direct awards up to €120,000

Parliament voted yesterday to adopt amendments to the Public Procurement Law that expand the scope for direct, single-source awards and remove oversight by the Public Procurement Bureau. The bill was passed with 63 votes in favour from MPs of VMRO-DPMNE, Vlen and Znam.

What changed

Opposition MPs and civil society warned that the changes significantly widen opportunities for non-competitive contracting. According to critics, the new thresholds allow goods to be procured without a tender for amounts up to €25,000 and permit direct awards for construction works up to €120,000.

MP Mile Cekov appealed to the majority during the debate, stressing the stakes by noting that "only last year €1.6 billion of public money passed through this law" and pointing to the European Commission's latest report that found no progress in the fight against corruption. He also cited serious corruption-risk findings from the Center for Civil Communications (CGK).

SDSM warned that the ruling majority led by VMRO-DPMNE has effectively loosened procurement rules to enable purchases without competitive procedures at much higher sums than before. Critics say scrapping the Bureau's oversight removes an important layer of public control over how taxpayers' money is spent.

Government supporters said the changes will speed up certain purchases and give public bodies more flexibility, arguing that simplified procedures are necessary in some cases. Opponents counter that the reforms concentrate discretion and raise the risk of irregularities.

The law was adopted despite appeals from those who argued the amendments would reduce transparency and accountability in public spending. The vote concluded the parliamentary procedure that brings the changes into force unless further legal challenges or political moves reverse them.

Photo: SDK.MK)