Why did he fail to tender the August books, and could he make a new tender?

The Kosovo Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and innovation (MASHTI) in this year has failed to provide free books to primary school students, but is considering the possibility of transferring money to parents so that they can then buy textbooks for their new school year, It says Periscope.

So far, the ministry has bought the books directly through publishing houses, from which they were distributed to students in schools. Now, AugustI intends to change the strategy and will decide within a few days on the new plan to purchase textbooks for students.

Given the performance so far, this plan is ad-hoc because the ministry's goal has been to ensure books from publishing houses this year as well.

Periscopi has found that on August 18th, the ministry has canceled the tender with the argument that the bidding price has been higher than the means pledged for the tender.

The tender is specifically called “Buying textbooks for the 2023-2024 school year for first grade by fifth grade (1-5), textbooks for diaspora students for level I ,II and III and German - language texts for classrooms (6) and 8)”.

The projected value of the contract has been 4, 316, 885.00 euros.

The tender file was prepared early in July. The deadline for submitting bids has been until July 10th, and six publishing houses have participated in negotiations with the ministry, as the tender has not been more open, but with a deadlock.

After a month, August has published an E-procure report on canceling the tender procedure.

The reason for the annulment has been that since the bidders the Publishing Houses have exceeded the projected value of this procurement procedure. Even though negotiations have been conducted with the Publishing Houses, prices are higher than the amount envisioned for this procurement procedure.

The projected value was 4,316,885.00 euros.

The value behind the negotiations is 4,83069,62 euros.

However, the ministry has been able to immediately announce new tenders, and raise funds for about 13 percent, and the contract would be linked in record time. The Public Procure Law allows that.

“43.10 If a procurement procedure is canceled and AK wants to continue with the corresponding procurement activity, The AK will initiate a new procurement procedure without changing the procurement label, and identifying it with “R-tender”.

But August did not do that.

The tender has been divided into seven tears and the ministry has personally selected companies to submit to you, and it has put the same in the tender file.

For example, the value predicted for each tear was:

Lot I 52,623.00 euros ? .

Lot II 3,178,359.00 euros.

Lot III 1,044,535.00 Euros “Albas”

Lot IV 16,207.00 Euros “

Lot V 2,321.00 Euros: “

Lot VI 7,592.00 euros. Lauras”

Lot VII 15,248.00 euros ? . “Berati”

As far as the brings to the conclusion of August's annulment has written that the value of bids exceeds the ministry's budget, this institution has not charged the e-procure document showing which of the publishing houses has not moved the price, or moved it less. But the announcement has been given overall.

Who made the supply last year?

The Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and innovation at the end of August last year had published book supply winners,

Meanwhile, the contract was linked around the beginning of September. Unlike this year, the supply was made in schools from 1st to 9th grade. The purchase had taken place, the same, as in 2021, or the previous years, the contracts had been more negotiated. All contracts have seized a figure of around 15m euros. Even in 2021. In the past year MAST, it had managed to link contracts in the last days of August, and the distribution of books had not been made any longer. Many schools had accepted books in three weeks.

But in the past year the company '%Dukagini had offered awards of 16,668,576.71 euros, but after the negotiations, the price has dropped to 9, 474, 642,50 euros.

The company “Albas S. P. K” had contracted contracts worth 3, 396,002,40 euros.

“The Publishing House Book Shkolor” worth 996, 719,53 euros.

“PUBLICATIONS PEGI SH.P.K.” branch in Kosovo, worth 353 027,72 euros.

N.B.L. Birat”, 308 987,52.

“Sculri Klinku”, 358 503.00 euros.

The tenders of greater value over the years have been linked to the company “Dukagini”, though they have been done in negotiations.

But after this year's tender failure AugustI is aiming to change the strategy and will decide within days on the new plan to purchase textbooks for students.

“This year is considering the possibility that the transfer of tools for providing textbooks, according to the Ministry of Education's legal obligation, be done on behalf of parents and the same purchases of textbooks for their children. Soon, within two or three days it will be decided about this”, Minister Arberie Nagavci said.

Kosovo Parents' Council Chairman Besnik Dragusha has said that parents' complaints and concerns have immediately begun, because this of “exacerbates the financial situation”.

I've been reading the script in the media and I've been calling the Ministry and I've got information on the matter and I've been following my parents' concerns and concerns. It's not defined yet, since I've been told, that by the end of the week it will be decided how this issue will be regulated”, Dragusha said.

In any form, he said, there is now a “kaos” in parents and children, because the start of the new school year is still 10 days, and it is not clear whether the ministry will provide free books or buy their parents.

Parents will have to apply on the government's online platform, E-Kosovo, for providing money for the purchase of textbooks for their children.

The new school year in Kosovo will begin on September 1st, and the social ruins have already erupted on charges against Minister Nagavci, from education experts and civil society. The opposition has demanded her resignation. /Periscopi/