USAID to Exhibit Shocking Public Procurement Purchases?

In support of local organizations combating corruption in public procurement, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is launching today, on International Anti-Corruption Day, a public campaign called We Pay the Price! This anti-corruption campaign focuses on corruption in public procurement to inform citizens and get them engaged in supporting and calling for changes in public procurement processes.

As part of this campaign, USAID organized a traveling exhibition, “We Pay the Price: An Exhibition of Shocking Public Procurement Purchases in BiH,” that will educate the public about corruption and waste that takes place in public procurement. Showcased in nine cities in BiH, the exhibition is a selection of the most outrageous – real – examples of how non-transparent procurement processes, corruption and bribes inflated the prices paid for common goods or supplies.

According to research of official government records by NGO Tender, only 25 percent of public procurement in BiH was conducted last year using open, transparent procedures, meaning 75 percent of public procurement contracts were arranged behind closed doors.

The exhibition starts today at Sarajevo City Center shopping mall, and will be on display for five days in each location.  In addition to shopping malls in Sarajevo, Banja Luka and Mostar, parts of the exhibition will be shown in American Corners in Doboj, Tuzla, Bihać, Zenica, Trebinje and Brčko.

The We Pay the Price campaign will last two months to cover the Dec. 9 submission of and subsequent government voting on 18 amendments to the Public Procurement Law. The amendments to improve the law were created by local organizations: the ACCOUNT Network, Tender, Transparency International, Open Society Fund and the Association of Employers in BiH.