An anti-graft bill submitted earlier this week is expected to ensure that public procurement procedures are clear and fair while dishing out appropriate penalties for transgressors, Justice Minister Tibor Draskovics told journalists at the weekend.
Anyone who uses underhand means to secure business in the public sphere will be brought before the courts and will lose their positions, Draskovics said.
Successive governments in the past have attempted to design and implement various anti-corruption packages with modest success. Hungary has come under scrutiny of international NGOs such as Transparency International and Freedom House, which have urged it to get its house in order and stamp out graft.
The latest effort is a bill which includes the provision of a 25-member public-interest and procurement office to be set up by March 1. Its powers will be relatively constrained: while it will be able to pass on information about any suspect dealings to the police, it will not itself have any authority to conduct investigations. Its job will be to examine wrong-doing involving public procurements worth more than 25 million forints (EUR 91.6m). Further, the finance minister will be given the right to examine all documents related to state-financed procurements.
Draskovics said that the office’s work is likely to lead to a greater number of corruption cases coming to light, and built-in legal mechanisms will mean that procurement procedures will become slower and more expensive. He said that the government has made no secret of its hope that any company employee who suspects any offenses will come forward knowing the necessary protections are in place and a financial reward at hand.
