The tender for the adaptation of the old government building for the needs of the Special State Prosecutor's Office (SDT) and the Special Police Department (SPO) got off to a slow start because the deadline for submitting applications, which was supposed to close on September 30th, was postponed to October 17th.
In the tender documentation, as can be seen on the website of Montenegrin Electronic Public Procurement, due to the delay in submitting bids from interested companies for the adaptation of the building, the deadline for making a decision has been postponed, which is now set for December 22nd of this year instead of early December.
At the end of August this year, the Ministry of Public Works announced a public procurement for the implementation of works on the adaptation of the old Government building, which will be adapted for the needs of the Special State Prosecutor's Office and the Special Police Department.
The tender estimated the value of the procurement at 1.930.000 euros, excluding VAT.
"The Government of Montenegro and the Ministry of Public Works remain committed to the transparent and efficient implementation of public procurement, as well as the improvement of infrastructure in the service of the public interest. By implementing this public procurement, the SDT and SPO will receive adequate spatial capacities, suitable for the smooth performance of their function, which is of great importance for strengthening the rule of law and the EU accession process," the Ministry of Public Administration said in a statement at the time.
It took the executive branch more than three years to take the first steps to renovate and adapt the old government building, which has been lying empty for years, after several conclusions reached during the 43rd and 44th governments, to the needs of the SDT and SPO.
Back in June 2023, the then Minister of Justice Marko Kovač announced that for the Government, "the priority is to move the SDT and SPO to the old government building," and the former Prime Minister also announced the imminent move. Dritan Abazovic, and then the former Minister of Justice Andrej Milović, at the very beginning of his term in the 44th Government.
The SDT and SPO, on whose results Montenegro's progress in EU negotiations largely depends, work in cramped offices, where special prosecutors, associates, administrators, and police officers have long been overwhelmed with cases, registers, archives...
The Supreme State Prosecutor's Office previously stated in a response to "Vijesti" that the lack of adequate working space seriously hinders the efficient functioning of the Special State Prosecutor's Office.
"Employees work in substandard offices, which significantly affects their productivity and makes it difficult to perform complex and responsible tasks. An excessive number of state prosecutors and employees often work in one office, which makes it difficult to work and take daily measures and actions aimed at detecting perpetrators of criminal offenses. There is no adequate space for the archive, nor for storing confiscated items, especially narcotics and weapons. Working in such conditions is inappropriate and requires urgent resolution so that prosecutors' offices can fight all forms of crime more effectively," the VDT said.
The Prosecutorial Council wrote to the Government to obtain clear and precise deadlines for when the work on moving to the old government building could be realized.
The first conclusion of the Government to relocate the SDT and SPO was made on July 6, 2023, and then a donation was agreed with representatives of the European Union Support to the Rule of Law in Montenegro - Eurol III project and the US Embassy in Montenegro in the form of financing the preparation of a feasibility study for the old building, as well as the procurement of office furniture and IT equipment.
The government later tasked the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property, in cooperation with the State Property Administration, to undertake further activities to carry out the adaptation work of the old building, but while the papers were in their hands, nothing was done for years.
The US Embassy purchased and donated some of the furniture and IT equipment, which has long been located in some of the 110 offices of the old government building.
Requested clarifications of the procedure
The tender documentation stipulates a deadline of 60 days for completion of the works from the date of introduction of the contractor into the job.
The warranty period for complete works, as well as a shorter contract execution period, are listed as key criteria for selecting the most favorable bid in this tender...
In order to enable proper and high-quality preparation of the bid, interested bidders are required to visit the facility that is the subject of the public procurement tomorrow and the day before, in order to become directly acquainted with the "situation on the ground".
The minimum contract execution period is 45 days, and the maximum execution period is 90 days from the date of introduction into business.
During the procedure so far, the tender commission has also received questions from interested companies - one of the answers stated that the bidder must have a minimum of 150 employees.
The contractor, who is selected in the tender, is obliged to submit the necessary technical documentation on the tests of materials and equipment performed, which prove the descriptions and essential characteristics of the materials and equipment in accordance with the technical documentation.
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