On September 26, 2023, the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives (IDIS) Viitorul and the Moldovan Ministry of Finance signed a cooperation agreement that will increase collaboration on improving the transparency and efficiency of the public procurement process with the end goal of ensuring appropriate value for public money spent.
The agreement was signed in the context of the Increasing the Integrity of Public Procurement in Moldova project which IDIS implements in partnership with Partnership for Transparency. The project aims to support the reform of the public procurement sector in the Republic of Moldova and increase the transparency and fairness of public procurement procedures by empowering citizens to hold relevant institutions accountable.
The parties to the agreement consider that the partnership between civil society and public authorities offers a means of increasing the quality of public services in the interest of citizens. The agreement emphasizes that public procurement is an important component of public finances, which is confirmed by the volume of public financial resources that are spent by Moldovan contracting authorities through the system for the procurement of goods, services, and works. The agreement stipulates that ”in 2022, the volume of public procurement exceeded 13 billion lei (≈$713,996,804), which is why ensuring and improving the transparency and efficiency of this process is imperative.”
In June 2022, the Republic of Moldova obtained the status of candidate country to become a member of the European Union and assumed the obligation to implement the recommendations of the European Commission to take necessary measures to improve public procurement at all levels of government, as well as increase the involvement of civil society in decision-making processes at all levels. Thus, the agreement re-emphasizes the need for collaboration between all actors in the public procurement sector and the importance of civil society contribution through monitoring, development of policies, digital tools, and participation in the effort to improve the regulatory framework.
The agreement recognizes that the establishment of effective and permanent communication between the representatives of public institutions responsible for public procurement, contracting authorities, economic operators, and civil society is the basic precondition for coordinating and harmonizing the interests of citizens with those of the state in a democratic atmosphere and in the spirit of the rule of law.
According to the agreement, the parties will organize joint meetings, roundtables, and other activities at which they will address various topics in the field of public procurement and issues that require discussions and consultations with all actors of the sector, in addition to working on finding solutions to address challenges. Additionally, the parties will ensure the systemic and organized participation of their representatives in the activities of the National Public Procurement Platform.
In addition, they will discuss reports, analyses, and other useful information and offer assistance and support in order to create a public procurement sector that generates appropriate value for public money and ensures the provision of quality public services. Also, the parties will exchange opinions, experiences, ideas, concepts, information, and analysis materials to create an effective mechanism for dialogue and collaboration of state institutions and civil society monitors and experts to support the principles of transparency and efficiency in the public procurement process.
Lastly, the parties agree on the elaboration and presentation of consolidated common positions on major topics of the public procurement process, especially on issues affecting the efficient operation and effectiveness of public procurement at the national level.
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The Increasing the Integrity of Public Procurement in Moldova project is implemented by the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives (IDIS) Viitorul in partnership with Partnership for Transparency. The project aims to support public procurement reforms in Moldova that will increase transparency and fairness in public procurement by empowering citizens to hold relevant institutions accountable.
IDIS is an independent think tank established in 1993 that combines social, political, and economic research with strong advocacy components. The institution conducts applied monitoring research in several areas: economics, social policy, EU policies, regional development, security, and foreign policy risks.
Partnership for Transparency (PTF) is based in Washington, DC and its mission is to support innovative civil society organization-led and related approaches to reduce corruption, increase transparency, strengthen governance, and enhance accountability in low- and middle-income economies and widely shares knowledge gleaned through its work. Since 2000, PTF has collaborated with over 160 local civil society partners in approximately 55 countries on more than 285 projects.
