The State Logistics Operator has announced new procedures for the procurement of food for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to them, in particular, those suppliers who did not fulfill their obligations to the Ministry of Defense in 2022-2023 are allowed to participate in the bidding. UNN reports this with reference to the press service of the State Logistics Operator.
Procurement procedures for the supply of food for the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been re-announced. Following the decision of the Sixth Administrative Court of Appeal, the DOT announced new procedures for the procurement of food for the Armed Forces of Ukraine
According to the court's decision, the requirements for suppliers were excluded, in particular, the rules on:
- banning the participation of suppliers who failed to fulfill their obligations to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine in 2022-2023;
- Availability of at least 15 warehouses to meet safety requirements.
It is noted that the DOT team has carried out proactive work to attract retailers. However, we have received feedback on the unwillingness of chains to become a supplier of the Ministry of Defense.
Now, the key task of the DOT is to ensure the continuity of food supplies for the military from the second quarter.
Increased manageability, accountability and transparency of processes will be achieved through an IT system for collecting applications for food supply to military units developed by the DOT team, the State Logistics Operator said.
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Experts interviewed by UNN called the court's decision sabotage and activities in favor of Russia that may have signs of treason.
In particular, military expert Dmytro Snegiryov believes that the SBU should be interested in the decision and the judges who made it.
"It seems that this is some kind of work in favor of Russia. Thus, in fact, Russia, using loopholes in Ukrainian legislation, is trying to block material and technical procurement of the Ministry of Defense. There should be an immediate reaction from law enforcement agencies, primarily the SBU, to check such decisions. This is not the first time that tenders have been canceled or blocked. And this is not normal. Indeed, there is a tendency to challenge these tenders, effectively blocking their implementation. And this applies not only to food procurement, but also to other important things provided by the Ministry of Defense. The situation is paradoxical and outrageous," said Snegiryov.
In turn, political scientist Viktor Bobyrenko believes that it is necessary to enshrine in law a ban on companies that have already disrupted supplies to participate in tenders for food for the Armed Forces.
"There is a danger that the process of organizing meals in the army will be jeopardized. If this cannot be resolved through the courts, then the legislation needs to be changed. I think it should be done not at the level of tender conditions, but at the level of the law, so that the court can unambiguously interpret these provisions of the law: if the supply is disrupted once, it is forbidden to participate in new tenders. In particular, a law on the specifics of procurement in wartime should be adopted. We are all in favor of maintaining the procedures, but on the other hand, we want it not to stymie supplies to the military. Because once again, it can be either unfair competition or an enemy whose goal is not to make money but to disrupt supplies," said Viktor Bobyrenko.