Creating a Legal Obligation for the Contracting Authorities for Mandatory Publication of Information Regarding the Public Procurement Contracts on Their Websites (MK0101)

Status quo or problem addressed by the commitment: The obligation resulting from the second Action Plan of OGP (2014-2016) to determine the minimum information from public procurement, that contracting authorities should publish on their websites by Bureau’s recommendation, is voluntary and is not respected by many contracting authorities. This regards information that provides at least a minimum level of transparency in public spending agreed in consultations (to publish information of contracting authorities on the web sites with a link to EPPS regarding the public procurement contracts, calls for public procurement, annual procurement plan and to fill in the part for ESPN’s realized contracts). Main objective: To provide basic information regarding the public funds spending in a manner and place that can easily be found and understood by citizens. By publishing this information as an obligation for contracting authorities, transparency and accountability of the institution will not depend on the willingness of individuals. Information disclosure on public money spending via public procurement is also a part of the efforts for Open procurement initiative, administered by the World Bank, and is similar to the OGP initiative. Brief description of commitment: Each contracting authority shall publish the annual procurement plan, information with a link to ESPP regarding public procurement calls and public procurement contracts and must also complete the part for realized contracts of ESPN. OPG challenge addressed by the commitment: Effective public funds management. Reference to the global objectives of sustainable development: Reference to the objective 17 “Target partnership” Target 17.1: Enhancement of the mobilization (collecting) of domestic resources, including through international support for developing countries in order to improve domestic capacities for tax and other revenues collecting, and Objective 16 “Peace, justice and strong institutions” Target 16.6: Development of effective accountable and transparent institutions at all levels. The measures of this commitment contribute for improvement of transparency and accountability of the public finance managing institutions through increase transparency and accountability in public funds management. Relevance: Compulsory publication of this information which are now voluntary will increase: - Transparency and accountability of public institutions regarding public money spending; - The degree of awareness of citizens on the manner their money are spent; - Integrity and trust in institutions -Efficiency in public funds management. Ambition: All contracting authorities registered on EPPS shall publish this information on their websites, and those who do not have their own website to do so on the website of the institution under whose authority they work.

For Commitment details, please see the IRM reports: Macedonia Mid-Term Report 2016-2018 and Macedonia End-of-Term Report 2016-2018