At the session, held on August 26, 2010, the Council of Ministers of BiH has adopted the Strategy of Public Procurement Development in BiH for the period 2010 – 2015, which states possible directions for more transparent and more efficient usage of public funds.
Besides pointing out the necessity of harmonizing legislation from this area with the EU directives, the strategy also points out a very high percentage of digital illiteracy and insufficient application of modern technologies.
Currently, it is hard to talk about electronic procurements because there is a very large number of contracting authorities that do not use the internet. "According to data from the Official Gazette of BiH, only 5% of contracting authorities has been delivering notifications for the announcement electronically. Over 20% of reports, which are being delivered to the Public Procurement Agency, have been filled out by hand, regardless of the available forms on the website and the fact that they can be filled out electronically", has been stated in the Strategy.
In communication with contracting authorities and tenderers, it has been noticed that over 50% of them does not use the public procurement website, and the reason for such situation they have often justified by the fact that it is easier for them to communicate through the phone, fax or organizing meetings.
The next problem, which has been present in this segment, is a legal arrangement of this area. Namely, Bosnia and Herzegovina still does not have all necessary regulations in the area of electronic signature, therefore electronic communication is not a legal form of exchanging information and the only one official and legal communication is still the “paper” one.
"In this part of accountability, the Public Procurement Agency of BiH, with the goal of improving development of this area, has developed the web based Information system for reporting on implemented public procurement procedures. Electronic system for delivering reports will enable contracting authorities for simpler, faster and more reliable submitting reports on implemented public procurement procedures", stands in this strategic document.
Also, the Public Procurement Agency has begun the preparation of document that specifies demands of the adequate BiH e-Public Procurement information system.
Future software solution for the BiH e-Public Procurement information system will include creating tender file online, which will enable the contracting authority to announce the complete tender file with all annexes on the website of the system.
The software will also enable online submitting applications for tender – in the public procurement procedure, tenderers will be able to electronically through the system deliver their signed tender, along with the required documents that prove satisfying criterions for participation.
The system will enable online opening of tenders, and the access for the members of the Commission for evaluation of tenders to all tenders delivered electronically, by considering rights and time of opening.
"In case that online or electronic public procurements become used, administrations will be able to save up to 10% of expenditures and 50-80% of costs of transfer to buyers and providers", has been stated in conclusion, reports ekapija.ba.