<p>Low competition on local level tenders</p>
<p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: &quot;Lucida Grande&quot;, &quot;Lucida Sans Unicode&quot;, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">Skopje, June 26, 2018 - The Center for Civil Communications announced today the<span> results on <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/gashgj21monvxhi/Monitoring%20na%20lokalno%20nivo_11_ANG.pdf?dl=0" target="_blank">Monitoring local level public procurement for the period </a></span></span><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/gashgj21monvxhi/Monitoring%20na%20lokalno%20nivo_11_ANG.pdf?dl=0" target="_blank">April-September 2017</a>, which showed the following key findings:</p>
<ul>
<li>Low competition in local tender procedures, whose multiannual average is calculated at 2.6 bids per tender procedure, continues this trend and stands below three bidders, which is considered minimum level of competition. In average, monitored tender procedures were marked by competition of 2.8 bidders. Additional concern is raised by increased share of tender procedures presented with one bid or no bids, which has risen to high 40% in this monitoring period and is the highest share observed in the last three years.</li>
<li>The share of annulled public procurements in the monitoring sample has risen to 20%, reaching the highest threshold for the second time in the last five years. In as many as 50% of annulled tender procedures, reasons indicated for their annulment implied no bids received.</li>
<li>Electronic auctions were held in only 58% of monitored tender procedures. They were successfully completed only in public procurements marked by higher competition, whereas downward bidding in the remaining share of tender procedures was formality and often raises concerns about previous arrangements between companies about their actions during e-auctions.</li>
<li>Unlike any period in the past, throughout this monitoring period relevant data for as many as 28% of tender procedures requested through the instrument for free access to public information were secured only after appeals were lodged before the relevant commission for protection of this right. </li>
</ul>
<div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: &quot;Lucida Grande&quot;, &quot;Lucida Sans Unicode&quot;, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;">The report was conducted within the Civica Mobilitas program which supports Center for Civil Communications' multi-annual program of activities.</span></div>