TIRANA, September 21, 2022 – Heads of public procurement agencies and procurement practitioners and experts from across Europe and Central Asia met this week in Tirana for the 16th Procurement, Integrity, Management and Openness (PRIMO) Forum.
Participants at the Forum discussed best-practices and experiences in public procurement and its potential role in supporting post-crisis recovery and sustainable development. PRIMO is a global platform for cross-regional cooperation and exchange of knowledge and experience in public procurement reform.
This year, the Forum was hosted by the Government of Albania and co-sponsored by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the European Investment Bank (EIB), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank, in cooperation with OECD.
“Procurement is at the center of everything that matters for a country’s sustainable development,” said Emanuel Salinas, World Bank Country Manager for Albania. “Effective public procurement is critical for responding to disaster and crisis, generating more jobs and economic growth, and ensuring social protection reaches those most in most.”
Participants discussed a wide range of issues in the context of a sustainable and resilient recovery, including the benefits of the green agenda, tools for sustainable procurement of infrastructure projects, and the use of technology to ensure better contract management, among others.
“Despite the crises we have passed, and are currently going through, the path of reforms and the establishment of a legal and transparent system of public procurement will be a strong basis for the recovery and development of the sustainability of the economy,” said Belinda Balluku, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy of Albania, referencing Albania’s experience.
The 16th PRIMO Forum brought together around 90 procurement officials from 19 countries, including Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, North Macedonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, the Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. They were joined by representatives from international institutions including ADB, IsDB, EBRD, EIB, the World Bank, and others.