Bulgaria’s Public Financial Inspection Agency (PFIA) found irregularities in 776 public procurement tenders called last year, or 51 per cent of the total of 1529, Deputy Finance Minister Atanas Kunchev told a May 14 news conference.

The agency found 1548 violations in those 776 procedures, as well as 202 instances when public authorities were obliged to, but failed to call public tenders.

Most violations under the Public Procurement Act (PPA) were carried out by municipalities. Kunchev ascribed the phenomenon to municipal officials’ insufficient knowledge of PPA procedures.

Furthermore, municipalities underperformed on their internal auditing function. To guarantee the independence of internal auditors in municipalities, the Finance Ministry intends to propose the creation of a single body comprising internal auditors, Kunchev said.

Local and central authorities called public tenders worth a total 1.03 billion leva last year. The tenders that breached regulations were worth 601.3 million leva.

The agency also performed 525 checks into non-public tenders, where 44 took place in 2006 and 2007 alike. Inspections found the violations incurred damages worth 12.2 million leva, of which 124 000 leva were recovered.