Pljevlja: A point has been made on the procurement of pellets

After eleven months and several reported complaints, an end was finally put to the tender of the Municipality of Pljevlja for the procurement of pellets, which were supposed to be delivered to citizens at subsidized prices.

This was confirmed to "Vijesta" by the Secretary of the Secretariat for Communal-Housing Affairs, Transport and Water, Vule Macanović.

He said that none of the bidders filed a complaint with the Commission for the Control of the Public Procurement Procedure against the decision of the Municipality to cancel the tender, so the decision became final.

The estimated value of the public procurement, which was announced at the end of January, was 647.536 euros for 2.300 tons of pellets.

As one of the reasons for canceling the tender, the Municipality cited the delay in the procurement process due to five reported complaints.

"The fact is that the majority of citizens who burn pellets, using a much reduced price compared to the offered tender prices, purchased the same at their own expense because they could not wait for the end of the procedure, and the heating season lasts from mid-September. If the client were to conclude a contract for the supply of pellets, he would have to take over the entire contracted quantity of 2.300 tons, with the uncertainty that he would realize it because the citizens had already provided the necessary quantity for themselves. Bearing in mind all these reasons, if the goods were provided on a different basis, the need for this type of public procurement has ended, and in the current calendar and budget year, the procurement in question will not be carried out, and the planned funds will be redirected to other priority projects from the capital budget. , it is stated in the explanation of the annulment decision, which was signed by Macanović.

Unsatisfied bidders had the opportunity to file a complaint with the Commission for the Protection of Public Procurement Procedure Rights, but none of them did so.

Previously, the Commission has repeatedly accepted the appeal of Mikro-Mont and other bidders and overturned the decisions of the Secretariat regarding the selection of the most favorable bidder or the cancellation of the procedure.

The municipality canceled the tender for the first time with the explanation that no bidder submitted a correct offer.

Due to the large number of reported complaints, the pellet procurement procedure was delayed this year, even though the local administration announced a tender in January, so citizens are forced to procure it themselves.

The Vice President of the Municipality of Pljevlja, Darko Gazdić, stated at one of the previous sessions of the local parliament that starting next year, he will subsidize 50 percent of the price of pellets with invoices attached to citizens who purchased pellets themselves.