The government has done a U-turn on the plan of interior minister Robert Kalinak to let the state award “strategic” procurement contracts over EUR 10 million directly without the need for a tender.
The idea, which was part of a planned revision of the Procurement Act set for next year, met with strong criticism and opposition as it could allow for even greater corruption and cronyism than at present.
Apart from attacks by the opposition, the plan invoked an outcry from independent watchdog Transparency International Slovensko (TIS) and the Fair Play Alliance (AFP), among others.