Kosovo police officers with torn boots are being forced to take them to the shoeman (Dok)

The boots of many have been damaged, and there are no new ones. The heavy leg of the Special Unit and the simplest police officials has remained at the mercy of procurement procedures and the will of procurement officials to proceed according to the Law.

Police members are being forced to send their winter boots to the shoeman, not that they did not resist time because of poor quality, but that they have not changed them for years now. As Periscop learned, there are no police officials who haven't sent their shoes to the shoe master in the last two years.

The irony of all this is that in Kosovo there are companies that produce these boots, but the police can be supplied.

It's enough to take a look at police officials when they're on duty, and it's seen that many of them have different-other boots. It is enough to see one of the latest photos published by the minister, Jelal Svechla, where he appeared in the presence of police officials and is clearly seen how one of the police officials has no boots at all. He appeared in summer shoes.

What's stopping the police from equipping their members with winter shoes?

The Police Research Unit has applied to the procurement office since 2020 for boot supplies, while police procurement has opened bids through procurement in June 2021 but has failed to choose a winner because it violated the law during the proceedings.

The Kosovo police procurement office was delayed in the bidding procedures for the purchase of these shoes, opening tenders on June 15th, 2021. Furthermore, during drafting the tender file, procurement officials set criteria contrary to the law on shoe supplies.

Five times the tender file has been corrected so far, on the part of police procurement, because companies that had shown the need to compete considered that criteria were being set contrary to the Law.

In this open public offer weighing 759, 900,000 euros, 3360 pairs of standard police boots and 1235 tactical boots were planned for DNIS and Border Police.

Periscope has found that, in July 2021, regarding criteria set out in the tender file, a company has complained, considering that many violations have been made during drafting technical specifics. This police procurement complaint was dismissed, while the company later complained to the Procureing Organisation.

After the company's complaint went to O The EPS, this institution has authorized its examiner's own expert to see the claims.

The OSHP expert reviewer Blerina Huruglica has drafted the expertise report, where she has approved most of the company's complaints. It has found violations of procurement provisions during drafting the tender file, so it recommended that the Tent File be modified and extend the deadline for submitting bids.

From eight complaints, the expert has found that six of them remain. After response has been given at each point of complaint, the expert wrote that: “As we explained in OE complaining claims, AK in this procurement activity “Fourncing with boots” is back in the fourth phase - preparing the tender file, I consider that the tender file should be improved in the context of legal dissemination. In the tender file AK will state all relevant information on the contract in question that interested OEs should know about preparing tenders without asking for additional information. Such information would include all technical specifications, requirements, criteria, timelines, methodologies, contract conditions, visits to location or pre-convenient meetings, etc. Linked to contracting procedures. Each sentence in the tender file will be well compiled, as the tender file is the basic material, under which economic operators will create their tenders. The tender file will be prepared in such a way that - as a principle rule there is no need for additional information. Especially, the contracting authority should be in mind, when the tender file is prepared, so there's no need for additional clarification. Especially, the contracting authority should be taken into account when the tender file is prepared, so there will be no communication, discussion or negotiations between authority and tenders...”

Then, police procurement decided to correct the tender file again, but there were complaints in O The EPS, considered that the file was not corrected under legislation in effect, as it was considered to still have discriminatory criteria.

The recent decision on police procurement is that “is launched this procurement activity because there is no responsible offer”. But this will not end any more, because companies will again complain to the contracting authority, believing they have met the specific criteria and if complaints are rejected will be addressed to O The E.P. Therefore, the process will drag on at least a few weeks.

Days ago, Periscop reported that police officials don't even have primary elements to protect against danger vests. / P ERISCOPI/