Ministry of Economy is drafting a new version of the Law on Public Procurement, which will allow participants to make it more efficient, and invites local governments to cooperate. This was stated by Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine Nadiia Bihun during consultations on solving problematic issues in the field of public procurement with the participation of local governments.

In particular, the event was attended by village, town and city mayors, their respective deputies, heads of departments and offices of local authorities, representatives of the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, and the Office of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine.

"The procurement system is an evolutionary process, each procurement cycle should be improved, dealt with systematically and involve communities in this process. The Law on Public Procurement defines the mechanism of action, and everything else depends on the skills and professionalism of the procurement team," said Deputy Minister Nadiya Bihun.

She stressed the need for local authorities to properly inform the public about the purpose of procurement, report on the results, and comply with international standards. In turn, local government representatives shared their own experience of using the public procurement system.

Oleksandr Slobozhan, Executive Director of the Association of Ukrainian Cities, noted that cooperation in the public procurement system of the Association of Ukrainian Cities with the Ministry of Economy and with the support of the Office of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine is systematic, it is important to share experience and best practices, and to maximise the number of local authorities that can use public procurement for the benefit of communities.

The event was organised by the Association of Ukrainian Cities in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine and IPSM, and was held within the framework of the project Promoting Comprehensive Development of Communities through Analysis, Dialogue and International Cooperation, implemented with the support of the U-LEAD with Europe programme.