PS: Fundamental Shortcomings in Legislation on Strategic Investments

Bratislava, April 22 (TASR) - Progressive Slovakia (PS) pointed to fundamental shortcomings in the legislation on strategic investments, environmental impact assessment and public procurement, MP Ivan Stefunko (PS) declared on Monday. Stefunko added that PS offers the coalition a guide on how to fix the problems. "It is both firms and common people who will pay the price for processes that drag on for too long. We urgently need a reform, but that reform must be done properly and for the long-term," said Stefunko. "We won't accomplish better projects by circumventing the rules. That's why, as a constructive opposition, we are bringing a series of amending proposals that would responsibly speed up investments and public procurement, and support the construction," underlined Stefunko, warning that because of vague wording of the new bill, anything can be classified as a strategic investment. "They open the door for projects done in haste and low quality. We propose a clear definition of the strategic investment. We want to create a list of big projects that won't sidestep the processes but become a priority instead, so that we won't have all the district chairs of the coalition parties promoting their own local projects," emphasised Stefunko. MP Jan Hargas pointed out that changes championed by the coalition in public procurement agenda open the room for distributing half a billion euros non-transparently and without real tenders. "Businesses will have only minimal options to defend themselves against these unfair tender conditions. In addition, the government is going to disrupt the independence of the Public Procurement Office by appointing its own vice-chair for strategic investments to it [...] Public procurement surely needs to become more efficient, but not like this," added Hargas. mf/mcs