Bulgaria mulls establishing electronic procurement system

Bulgarian parliament on Friday started the process of establishing a national system of electronic public procurement in an attempt to reduce corruption and improve the business climate in the country. Under the bill adopted by the Bulgarian legislators, the country will develop the design and technical specifications for the future system of electronic public procurement with the help from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Using the electronic system will reduce the risk of corruption in public procurement, increase trust in public institutions in the spending of public funds, and improve the business climate in the country, according to officials. The public procurement has long been a problem in Bulgaria. The Public Financial Inspection Agency has found infractions in 60 percent of the public procurement procedures in 2011. The Bulgarian National Audit Office announced on Wednesday that it had found infractions in 85 percent of the public procurement carried out by the Ministry of Interior from Jan. 1, 2010 to May 31, 2013.