World Bank lifts 5 mln euro cap on procurement for its programs via Prozorro system - Ukrainian ministry

MOSCOW. Oct 11 (Interfax) - The World Bank has confirmed that Ukraine's Prozorro electronic public procurement system is in compliance with the bank's rules and approved its use for all projects financed in Ukraine, Ukrainian media said, citing the Economy Ministry's website.

"The government is grateful to the World Bank [...] for its readiness to use Prozorro for projects it funds. The Prozorro system is well known to Ukrainian business. That is why, its use by international financial organizations will allow Ukrainian entrepreneurs to integrate as much as possible into the supply chains for Ukraine's recovery," Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Yulia Sviridenko said.

It is confirmed by the results of a World Bank team's evaluation of a new procedure developed by Prozorro in line with the bank's recommendations, i.e. a procurement procedure matching international donors' rules, the ministry said.

The assessment authors have concluded that the Prozorro e-procurement system may be used in projects financed by the World Bank, for procurement projects and services under a 5 million euro threshold, and for international tender procedures starting at 5 million euros, it said.

The World Bank earlier commended using the Prozorro system only for procurements under the 5 million euro cap, the ministry said. Now that Prozorro has been adjusted, the World Bank's position is that all World Bank-funded procurements for Ukraine's recovery needs should be conducted via this electronic system.

According to the World Bank's recommendations, Prozorro's new procedure makes it possible to accept participants' offers in different currencies, review offers in a step-by-step manner, select the winner based not only on the price criteria, etc. The Economy Ministry and Prozorro will soon launch a course to allow companies implementing World Bank projects in Ukraine to learn to use the e-procurement system.

A special procedure for donor procurement has been developed as a "construction kit" to enable various banks and international organizations to use the Prozorro system, the ministry said.

"Such an approach helps put together a purchase in line with a specific donor's rules, setting all necessary parameters - whether preliminary qualification of participants is required, whether it is necessary to hold an auction, etc. At the same time, the use of the Prozorro system will ensure the 'all see all' principle, which is so important to Ukrainian society," the ministry quoted Prozorro director Nikolai Tkachenko as saying.