Book: “COMPETITION AND INTEGRITY IN PUBLIC PROCUREMENT” By Slavica Joković PhD

This book examines the issues and challenges raised by anticompetitive practice in public procurement and lack of integrity. It will help the reader to solve its problems concerning lack of knowledge, information and experience in the area of competition and public procurement. Furthermore, it will help with appropriate measures for the prevention of corruption, as well as measures aimed at fighting bid rigging in public procurement and enhancing competition. The objective of this book is to promote integrity in public procurement as a precondition for fair competition on the one side, and sustainable public procurement, including environmental and social goals, on the other side. In order to respond to these challenges, appropriate public procurement measures should be considered, with aim of increasing the efficiency of public spending, integrity and competition, facilitating, in particular, the participation of medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in public procurement, which is essential to the proper and efficient implementation of public procurement procedures.. The book analyses the role of competition and integrity in the public procurement policy, in view of the new EU public procurement legislative framework, and the particular country case of Serbia. Considering the wide impact of public procurement on the whole economy, and the harmful consequences of anticompetitive practice to public resources, this book reviews some public procurement rules in the EU Directive on Public Procurement and the Law on Public Procurement in Serbia, intended to foster competition. Furthermore, it focuses on the provisions concerning transparency and integrity in the area of public procurement, as well as the criteria for the award of public contracts, and SMEs` consideration in the public procurement policy. This book elaborates on the main characteristics of anticompetitive practice in public procurement, including bid rigging, its forms, objectives, and consequences, as well as various features of the industry, products and services that tend to facilitate collusion in public tenders. It also describes the most common indicators of bid rigging in order to detect and prevent anticompetitive collusion. Furthermore, it examines the rules regarding integrity and transparency in the area of public procurement that should be ensured through appropriate anti-corruption measures, control, reporting and internal liability, which contribute to the fight against anticompetitive practice. Integrity and transparency of the public procurement system, embracing access to procurement information and ethics, should ensure its proper functioning to avoid any irregularities in procurement procedures and practices. Afterwards, the book covers issues concerning rules for the award of public procurement contracts, including contract award criteria, with particular emphasis on qualitative aspects. Especially, as a specific illustration of these deliberations, the criterion of qualification and experience of staff assigned to performing the contract is examined, as well as an example of relevant case-law of the Court of Justice. In addition, it investigates issues of integrating SMEs` consideration into public procurement policy, in order to increase its participation in the public procurement market. The book also highlights appropriate measures that should be applied in order to fight against anticompetitive practice in public procurement, which concerns the proper implementation of relevant legislative provisions, as well as proposed practical measures to increase participation of economic operators in the public procurement procedures. Finally, the last chapter analyses relevant opportunities, and the legal and institutional framework of public procurement and public-private partnerships in Serbia, as a country case. This book can be used as an useful manual for public procurement practitioners and officials working in the area of competition. It is of great value not only for lawyers, economists, specialists in purchasing practice, researchers and students but to a much wider audience that recognizes the strong potential of public procurement to stimulate investment and new technologies, as well as to boost the whole economy. 

For more information: https://www.instagram.com/slavica_books/ https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/competition-and-integrity-in-public- procurement

Readers` Favorite 5-star review

Reviewed By Edith Wairimu for Readers’ Favorite

Competition and Integrity in Public Procurement by Slavica Joković uses Serbia as its country case study. It expounds on the EU public procurement legislative framework and its role in promoting integrity and fair competition in the public procurement system. It also explains different forms of anticompetitive practices such as bid-rigging, defined as the collusion between bidders in a public procurement process to eliminate competition and control the outcome. It examines how such malpractices arise and the indicators to look out for. It explains the effects of such practices and the rules and measures that prevent them from occurring which, ultimately, enhance competition and integrity within the public procurement market. It also examines how the EU public procurement legislative framework could be modified to facilitate the participation of SMEs in the public procurement market.

Slavica Joković’s business guide examines a critical topic and offers valuable information on how the public procurement system can be used as a tool to boost investment and grow an economy. The topics are examined in detail and the book uses straightforward language, making it accessible to any reader. The information it offers is also universal and can be applied to any economy. I loved the work’s use of real processes and practices in Serbia to explain its discussions. It also lists numerous other sources that can be used for further research. Competition and Integrity in Public Procurement offers essential, applicable techniques for ensuring transparency and fair competition within the public procurement system. Readers will appreciate its clear, effective discussions.