Key risks for corruption in public procurement and countermeasures in the legal framework of the Republic of Serbia

Abstract

Public procurements essentially constitute a development issue of great importance for each country and the process of European integration of the Republic of Serbia implies the need to harmonize legislation with the EU achievements in this area and its full implementation at all levels. On the other hand, public procurements have been identified as an area where corruption is very widespread and one of the reasons why a reduction (prevention) of irregularities in the public procurement system is one of the strategic goals of the reform of public procurement in the Republic of Serbia. The paper points to the basic characteristics of corruption in public procurements and to the key differences between the corruption in public procurement and the corruption in other parts and areas of society. Also, considering the fact that corruption in this field may occur at different stages of the procurement procedure and in different forms, special attention was given to the analysis of key risks of corruption in this area, as well as to the importance of implementation of measures that prevent corruption, which must permeate all stages of the public procurement process: planning implementation of the public procurement procedures and contracts execution. Finally, this paper points to the new normative solutions in our country with the intention to clarify the direction of the reform this area, and also identifies gaps that still bear influence on the corruption risks, all with the aim to determine the direction in which it is possible to improve anti-corruption mechanisms.