The Riigikogu passed with 76 votes in favour the Act on Amendments to the Public Procurement Act (170 SE), initiated by the Estonian Reform Party Faction, the Pro Patria and Res Publica Union Faction and the Social Democratic Party Faction. This Act eliminates the restrictions which narrow the circle of enterprises who can participate in procurement procedures, that is, the provision which excludes from public procurements persons who have owed tax arrears for a total period of more than thirty days within twelve months as of the submission of the relevant certificate to the contracting authority is excluded from the Act which is currently in force. Contracting authorities will continue to have the possibility to verify, in cases of justified doubt, whether or not participants in the public procurement have tax arrears, during the whole procurement procedure. If arrears are discovered, the tenderer or candidate will be excluded from the procurement procedure, which means sticking to the principle that a procurement contract will not be entered into with persons who owe tax arrears. This Act enters into force on the following day after its publication in the Riigi Teataja. Nobody voted against the Act and nobody abstained.

The Riigikogu Press Service