Source: "Blic"
Unfortunately, once again, implementation of some important anti-corruption solutions from the „new“ Public Procurement Act has been suspended. It has been done factually without any changes of the law, without any, even formal explanation. Just „simply“ no funds have been provided in the Budget for the work of Commission for Protection of Rights, and besides that, even after several months’ lateness its members have not been appointed.
There is no doubt that this would have completely undesired effects. And irresponsible ignoring of warnings from the current Commission Chairman who has responsibly pointed out that we are threatened by a collapse of public procurements’ system, can not mitigate that damage, on the contrary. It is realistic that we can face a blockade of public procurements or a complete desisting from legal solutions’ implementation.
It is realistic to expect damage also on the plan of fight against corruption, but also on European integrations’ plan. Commission for Protection of Rights, so speak experiences of others, could significantly increase its anti-corruption contribution if it would become an independent body, not a quasi-subject constituting a part of the Public Procurement Administration. Anyhow, exactly that idea was at the foundation of the law change. And pertaining to European integrations, one should remember that the European Commission has in its time praised the institutional independence of the Commission for Protection of Rights. Only that „independence“ has been legally determined already in 2008. Is it difficult to assume how shall our EU partners look upon that, that after we have missed 2009, the “new” position of the Commission should remain a dead letter on the paper also in this year?
From the standpoint of effects, it is almost the same if behind ignoring legal provisions in this case stood bad intentions, oversight or something else. But it shouldn’t be all the same to us that similar things repeat themselves often, and people treat “oversights” easily and as a rule there is a lack of professional or political responsibility. And that is something, when speaking about the things obviously harmful for normal state functioning, that simply shouldn’t be happening