Public procurement and organization of competitive procedures under crisis conditions
Emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has created a need for fast adjustment to the newly created situation, especially in respect to procurements that should be urgently implemented on the account that the people’s security, life and health are directly threatened. While the legislation on public procurements in the Republic of North Macedonia is largely aligned with the EU Public Procurement Directives, numerous questions have been raised about the best manner to address consequences of the pandemic that completely distorted markets and supply chains. This resulted in many challenges, not related only to implementation of public procurement procedures, but also to management of already awarded procurement contracts. On that account, this policy brief aims to provide a summary of experiences and to propose possible solutions aimed at improving the legislation and practices related to public procurements under crisis circumstances. On one side, the system should be sufficiently flexible to adjust to any contingencies that might arise during a crisis, but on the other hand, it should ensure maximum level of lawfulness, transparency and accountability, thereby reducing possibilities for abuses.