Concerns raised over urgent no-bid contracts for Evros projects
A special session of the Regional Council of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace will take place on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, at 18:00 in the "GEORGIOS PAVLIDIS" conference hall. The session will focus on accountability, and opposition groups have until April 24 to submit their questions to the regional governor, a deputy governor, or an appointed councilor.
QUESTIONS ON NO-BID CONTRACTS
Stergios Iliopoulos and the Independent United Initiative submitted a formal query concerning the awarding of three public works contracts in the regional unit of Evros, amounting to €7 million. The opposition group challenges the urgency of these contracts and the legitimacy of awarding them without open tender. According to the Initiative, these projects were granted under emergency provisions, invoking urgency as justification for direct assignments and bypassing public tender procedures. They argue this approach lacks transparency and results in significantly lower discounts from contractors—often below 10%—compared to the 30%–40% discounts commonly achieved through open competitions.
The Initiative stresses that similar practices had been criticized as early as 2014 and laments their continued use. The three projects were each assigned to only one contractor without a competitive process. “Experience shows that when tenders are skipped, savings are minimal. For these projects, a potential €2 million in public funds could be lost—funds that could serve other urgent regional needs,” the group stated.
TIMING AND URGENCY QUESTIONED
The group further questions the justification of the urgency claim, pointing out that the fire prompting these projects occurred nearly two years ago, on August 19, 2023. Funding approval was only granted on January 15, 2025—17 months later—despite a formal request submitted in October 2023. They argue that the long delay weakens any claims of urgency and suggest the process may have served administrative convenience rather than pressing technical needs. “Instead of demanding public and prompt action, the regional administration remained silent and has now adopted a process that undermines both transparency and legitimacy,” the statement continued.
The Initiative also raised several specific questions:
- Why was the urgency invoked nearly two years after the fire?
- Why were only three contractors invited per project, and what criteria were used for their selection?
- How many qualified local construction companies were excluded from participation?
- Could the region have saved up to €2.8 million with a 40% discount instead of the expected 10%?
- Was there any prior market interest or offer assessment before the selections?
The session is expected to shed light on these concerns, with the governor or responsible officials providing explanations in what could become a pivotal moment for the region’s governance transparency.
