Bulgarian business demands increased preliminary control over public procurement tenders and the creation of the long-awaited "black list" of disloyal companies.

These and other proposals, such as including representatives of the business in the commissions selecting the winning bids, and guarantees for more competition between applicants, were discussed by a work group, led by the Minister for EU Funds, Tomislav Donchev.

The Bulgarian Business Chamber (BSK) continues to firmly oppose the so-called in house orders, which are assigned, without competition, to State and municipal-owned companies.

Donchev says the above would not be a wide-spread practice and these are companies especially created for the purpose to fulfill public orders, without any other business activities, adding they would not receive more than several contracts per year.

The Minister further assured the business all proposals would be given strong consideration.

The new Bill must be ready by August 2011, after it was last changed in the summer of 2010, when it was still criticized by the EC over the failure to hold individuals personally responsible for illegal orders since the sanctions, under the 2010 Bill, would be paid by the municipalities i.e. the taxpayers.

Other critics included the lack of a "black list" of companies-violators and of strict rules for the opening of the bids.

The new amendments are expected to be voted by the Council of Ministers on January 15.

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