ELECTRONIC PROCUREMENT app.al

1. REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA PUBLIC PROCUREMENT AGENCY ELECTRONIC PROCUREMENT www.app.gov.al

2. The system of electronic procurement in Albania • The system of electronic procurement was established with the assistance and support of the Millennium ChallengeThreshold Agreement Programme for Albania, managed by USAID.It enables the submission of offers and their evaluation in electronic way. • This was a step forward in the framework of measures towards transparency increasing and the fight against corruption in public procurement. • The electronic system started to be applied for the first time in Albaniathe year of 2008, by some of the contracting authorities. Since the month of January 2009, e-procurement is obligatory for all CA-s.

3. The system of electronic procurement in Albania Current legal framework • Law no. 9643 of 20.11.2006 “On public procurement”, as amended; • Council of Ministers Decision no. 659 of 03.10.2007 “On the approval of public procurement rules with electronic means”, as amended; • Council of Ministers Decision no. 45 of 21.01.2009 “On the performance of public procurement procedures with electronic means, as amended”.

4. The system of electronic procurement in Albania Current legislation in force foresees: • Obligation of contracting authorities to perform all the procurement procedures with electronic means, except: a) the negotiated procedures without prior publication of contract notice, and; b) Small value procurements. • Applicable rules to be used for sending and receiving offers and requests for participation through electronic means, without affecting the principle of non-discrimination; • The necessary functional, legal and technical requirements for performing public procurement procedures by electronic means.

5. The system of electronic procurement in Albania Safety of the system • E-procurement system provides the integrity and confidentiality of the offers and of the requests for participation. • It guarantees the safeguard of transmitted data, and consequently provides the detection of non authorized interventions. • Contracting authorities can see into the content of the offers and of the requests for participation only after the time limit for their submission is over.

6. The system of electronic procurement in Albania The right of access in the system • Only the authorized persons have the possibility to set or change the time limits for disclosure of offers or requests for participation. • The access is possible only through the simultaneous actions of the authorized persons (after the time limit is over). • The system enables control at any time.

7. Advantages from using the e-procurement • Greater transparency E-procurement system assures much more transparency in conducting public procurement procedures. It provides the integrity of the offers and their safeguard until the moment determined for their disclosure. All the actions done in it leave automatically identifiable tracks, serving so as a basis for controls to be performed afterwards. All the notices with regard to tender procedures and their respective documents are published at the Public Procurement Agency website www.app.gov.al, which is the portal of electronic procurement, and can be download for free. The number of public procurement procedures published, the year of 2009, to be carried out in electronic manner is 4649.

8. Advantages from using the e-procurement • Avoidance of corruption The system is also a very important means against corruption. The performance of public procurement procedures through this system does avoid the possibility of economic operators for being in contact with each-other, and also their possibility of contact with procurement officials of contracting authorities.

9. Advantages from using the e-procurement • Reduction of costs The e-procurement system reduces the costs required to perform the procedures in the classical paper-based form, as a result of reduction of unnecessary documents and papers. The system eludes the numerous documents in paper form and the bureaucratic procedures for their collection and distribution. In accordance with the statistics, pointed out for the year of 2009, the costs for the performance of public procurement procedures are reduced to 15%.

10. Advantages from using the e-procurement • Greater competition The application of the electronic systemincreased considerably the number of economic operators participating to public procurement procedures (from an average of 2 economic operators in the procedures performed in the paper based form to an average of 6 economic operators in the electronic procedures). The system provides a wider participation of economic operators in the tender procedures, since they may deliver their proposals electronically, from their place of work.

11. Advantages from using the e-procurement Other advantages • Public procurement through the use of information technology is easier, since the procedures are more simplified and being carried out faster; • It increases the level of responsibility, leading to a more efficient and effective use of taxpayers’ money; • There are provided goods, services and works of a better quality and price, as a result of transparency increasing and a greater competition; • The electronic system enables the business sector to interact and communicate easily with the contracting authorities.

12. Data on Electronic Public Procurement Procedures for the Year of 2009

13. THANK YOU!