The authorities proposed to remove part of public procurement from public access

To support the economy against the backdrop of the sanctions crisis, the government has requested a number of measures regarding changes in the regulation of the system of public contracts. Some of them have already been adopted by the State Duma. In particular, the terms of purchases from a single supplier have been expanded. In addition, under existing and concluded contracts, the government, regional authorities and municipalities will have the right to revise the terms of the concluded state contracts.

The adopted proposals appear in the draft government plan of priority actions to ensure the development of the Russian economy in the face of external sanctions pressure (RBC has it). Along with the already announced powers, there are other measures in this document, including the right of the government to determine “cases of non-placement of contracts in the open (public) part of the procurement system.” The plan, which RBC got acquainted with, was up-to-date as of 12:00 Moscow time on March 2 (changes are possible), its authenticity was confirmed by two sources familiar with the proposals.

“The purpose of the amendments in this case is to simplify and speed up the adoption of the necessary decisions in the field of public procurement as much as possible,” the government’s press service told RBC, adding that the expansion of the government’s powers “will make it possible to quickly and more accurately regulate relevant issues for certain cases. and various categories of business entities. The main expected effect of the proposed measures concerns business support – “from small businesses to large industrial enterprises,” the press service added: “This is what the government’s efforts are aimed at, and not at reducing the transparency of the public procurement system.”

What is offered

Among the relaxations in the system of government contracts, it is planned to expand the possibility of purchasing from a single supplier. A similar measure was applied during the pandemic, when government contracts were allowed without competition, provided that the purchased goods, works or services are used to prevent or eliminate the consequences of the epidemic.