The Republican Commission for the Protection of Rights in Public Procurement Procedures is set to review the legality of Elektrodistribucija’s recent tender, where the Montop HRS consortium was awarded the contract despite offering a price 12 million euros higher than the competing bid. Experts argue that the tender conditions have eliminated fair competition, while the second bidder, led by Đerdap usluge, is considering criminal charges.
The tender, which was opened on October 5 last year, aimed to secure a service for meter readings. The estimated value of the project was set at around 30 million euros, but Elektrodistribucija opted for a bid from the Montop HRS consortium, which offered 45.88 million euros, significantly more than the 33.5 million euros proposed by the second bidder. The Montop consortium’s price was 5.37 billion dinars, averaging 95 dinars per meter reading, while the second consortium’s bid was 3.92 billion dinars, equating to 69.99 dinars per meter.
The Montop HRS consortium, led by Marko Bosanac, has faced criticism for its past performance. The company was the sole bidder for recent contracts in Vojvodina and Central Serbia, with its previous work falling short of expectations. According to reports, Montop achieved just 70% of the target meter readings, resulting in an estimated monthly loss of 50 to 60 million euros for Elektrodistribucija.
The conditions set for the tender have raised concerns. For example, one requirement stated that bidders must have handled at least three million meters over the past three years, with at least one million meters read in one month. This condition excluded most potential competitors and was seen as favoring Montop and its affiliates. State auditors had previously criticized similar conditions, but no changes were made.
The second consortium, led by Đerdap usluge, a company with a long history in the maintenance of hydropower plants, has formally appealed the decision and plans to file criminal charges against five members of the tender committee and the director of Elektrodistribucija for allegedly disregarding the arguments against Montop’s selection.
This legal dispute is ongoing, with the Republican Commission set to determine the legitimacy of the process, which could have significant implications for future public procurement procedures in Serbia.
