The task of developing a forest management plan for private forests in the Municipality of Foča has been awarded to “Šuma plan” by Duško Topić, as previously announced by Direkt. His proposal was deemed “the only acceptable one”.
In late April, bids for this tender were opened, and the only one that met all the requirements was “Šuma plan”. Consequently, the competent commission recommended to the Mayor of Foča, Milan Vukadinović, to proceed with this public procurement.
The offer from this company amounted to 189,390 KM without VAT, only 10 KM lower than the estimated value.
“The commission has determined that the bidder meets the formal-legal and technical requirements, that is the requirements of the contracting authority stipulated in the tender documentation. Their offer is acceptable to the contracting authority and can be subject to evaluation according to the criteria established in the Procurement Notice and tender documentation”, the commission's decision stated.
In an earlier statement to Direkt, the owner of “Šuma plan”, Duško Topić, initially mentioned that he didn't apply due to a potential bidder's complaint about the tender. However, he later decided otherwise.
Aware that it did not meet all the requirements, “Dinarika” applied to the tender with an offer of 130,000 KM.
It's worth noting that this tender procedure took longer because the company “Dinarika” lodged a complaint with the Office for the Review of Complaints, as previously detailed by Direkt.
However, the Office for the Review of Complaints dismissed Dinarika's complaint as unfounded because the company did not timely pay the fee of 2,000 KM.
“As the appellant in this specific case did not provide evidence of payment of the fee for initiating the appeals process in the amount of 2,000 KM, as requested by the Conclusion of this body dated March 27, 2024, this body… has determined that the appeal is irregular and should be dismissed”, stated the decision of the Office for the Review of Complaints.
Dinarika confirmed to Direkt that they will continue to monitor the progress of this project in Foča and have already requested access to the selected bidder's offer.
This case in Foča is not unique. As recently reported by Srpska.info, the battle for tenders in at least seven municipalities in Republika Srpska has delayed the preparation of forest management plans. This could mean that forest owners legally cannot cut down any trees, potentially leaving them without firewood or, for those who sell them, without income.
