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Delfi recalls that after the Financial Crime Investigation Service (FNTT) raised suspicions in the investigation into the acquisition of rapid evidence, Deputy Minister Lina Jaruševičienė announced her resignation. According to Darius Kuliešius, the president’s chief security adviser, the transparency minister should also not be left out.
“In our opinion, Minister A. Veryga cannot really be left out, he has to provide his explanation and assessment of the situation. We are talking about the Minister as head of the sector, and the head of service is responsible for responding and managing risks in the sector, “said D. Kuliešius after the meeting with representatives of the Public Procurement Office (VPN), the State Audit Office and the Special Investigation Service. public procurement.
Most of the acquisition was carried out through unannounced negotiations.
According to the chief adviser to the head of state, several risks associated with the acquisition were identified during the meeting.
“It was mentioned that there was a lack of publicity, transparency in the use of funds and finance in emergency management. This has to do with undisclosed negotiations. The law allows acquisition in this way in an emergency, but this is not the rule is the exception and must be carried out in strict compliance with the requirements of the procurement law. Flexibility and speed cannot compensate for transparency, “said D. Kuliešius.
According to the presidential adviser, the analysis of the control institutions shows that more than 92 percent. Unannounced negotiations were of full value. In this way, according to D. Kuliešius, the risk of opacity could also arise, around 42 percent. Lithuanian entities that participated in acquisitions generally participated in these acquisitions for the first time, or were recently established. Those entities had one or more employees.
“Such criteria point to the risks and responsibilities of contracting authorities to manage those risks,” said D. Kuliešius.
According to the chief adviser to the president, there is a chance that about 15 percent. public contracts remained unpublished.
Regulators promise to make recommendations for the new period on how to prepare for the challenges of the emergency.
STT offers assistance in verifying providers
Žydrūnas Bartkus, the head of the Special Investigation Service (STT), said he understood that such situations are not common, but that, according to him, they must be prepared.
“Today we can see some processes that need to be improved. (…) We see that one of the three companies that participated in the contracting, the suppliers, were the ones that never participated in public contracting. The fact that they are newly established or with a small number of employees, one to three, is in itself an indication of risk, “said Ž. Bartkus
According to the STT chief, during the meeting with the president, they discussed how an algorithm could be developed that would allow the state to ensure that it is not deceived and does not suffer a loss.
“STT can contribute to information verification to provide timely information to the contracting authority,” Ž said. Bartkus
Another problematic area identified by the STT chief was that during the pandemic, decentralized procurement was an additional risk that did not prevent situations where goods or services were overpaid, or what was later deemed unnecessary.
“Centralized purchasing, where one owner is for the entire sector, would probably be one of the solutions,” said Z. Bartkus
Two studies are underway.
According to BNS, after the introduction of quarantine in Lithuania this spring, Seimas urgently adopted amendments to the Public Procurement Law, which allow for easier conduct of unpublished international negotiations.
Later, the VPT emphasized that in the absence of necessary facilities, medical institutions and laboratories have access to legal provisions that facilitate the acquisition of the necessary goods, services or works.
During the quarantine, the head of state repeatedly emphasized that the necessary purchases must be transparent and in accordance with established rules.
Police are currently investigating $ 11 million in reagent purchases and rapid tests for coronavirus. euros
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