Ahead of the much-hyped “Budget Savings Decree”, which is also supposed to ban the purchase of cars by government agencies and authorities, hundreds of cars will be bought at auctions just launched in the ministries of environment, economy, health and MApN. Dozens of direct purchases have already been made in health insurance institutions, pension institutions, and the Ministry of Labor.

After more than a month of discussions in the Coalition on austerity measures, or “reviews”, as Prime Minister Chuke calls them, to cover the shortfall in revenues from the state budget, they will be adopted by the government on Friday.

One of the main measures of this emergency decree is the ban on the purchase of cars by government agencies and authorities, but many ministries and agencies have stolen the lead and quickly made direct purchases or have already launched tenders.

The austerity order proposed by the government provides an exception that current government procurement can be completed.

Environment, Economy, Health and MApN tenders for the purchase of hundreds of cars have just been launched

Several ministries and government bodies have recently decided to start tenders for the purchase of cars, some under a simplified procedure, as in the case of the Competition Council.

Below are some of such tenders launched in recent days in the Electronic State Procurement System:

The Department of Environmental Fund purchases 18 cars

On May 5, 2023, the Department of the Environmental Fund (EFM), subordinate to the Ministry of Natural Resources, launched an open tender for the purchase of 18 new cars, of which 4 are electric cars.

• “The vehicles of the Department of the Environmental Fund are in an unsatisfactory technical condition, they require very high maintenance and repair costs to maintain them at the minimum level of operation, in connection with which it is necessary to purchase 18 new vehicles.
• Cars owned by the Environmental Protection Fund were purchased in the period 2013-2016 and meet Euro 5 pollution standards. Therefore, we consider it extremely necessary to replace the cars in the institution’s fleet, as they have a high degree of wear and tear and have a high degree of greenhouse gas emissions .”, it is shown in the specifications.

The estimated total cost is more than 1.9 million lei (without VAT).

Purchased products will be paid for from the budget of revenues and expenses of the Department of the Environmental Fund (investments) and from the financing of the Environmental Fund through the Rabla Classic and Rabla Plus programs.

The National Environmental Guard buys 31 cars

On April 28, 2023, the National Environmental Guard, subordinate to the Ministry of Natural Resources, launched an open tender for the purchase of 31 vehicles.

The estimated value of the contract, financed from budget funds, is almost 3 million lei (without VAT).

The agency makes this purchase to modernize the fleet and improve working conditions.

The Ministry of Natural Resources is buying 2 electric cars

In addition, last month the Ministry of Ecology itself launched a tender for the purchase of 2 new, fully electric cars, as part of the “Program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in transport by promoting environmentally friendly and efficient vehicles. plan 2020-2024”, under the general name Rabla Plus.

The estimated value of the contract is almost 290,000 lei (without VAT).

Ministry of Health buys 8 cars

The tender announced by the Ministry of Health on May 4, 2023 is aimed at the purchase of 8 cars necessary for the implementation of palliative care activities in 8 pilot centers of the project “Increasing institutional capacity for coordinated national development of palliative care and home care”.

The contract, financed by EU funds, has an estimated cost of 696,000 lei without VAT.

Dozens of purchases of military units of the Ministry of Defense

1. Military unit 02574 Bucharest, the structure of the Ministry of National Defense (MApN) wants to purchase 66 vehicles, namely:

• 50 all-terrain vehicles
• 9 special military police cars for traffic control and guidance
• 5 refrigerator vans
• 2 electric cars

The tender was launched on May 5, 2023, and the contract has an estimated value of more than 7.6 million lei (excluding VAT).

2. V/h 02606, p. under MApN, buys 2 off-road minibuses, 2 city cars and a van for goods transport.

• “The specific objective is to make transportation activities more efficient for specific tasks,” the specifications read.

The auction started on April 30, 2023, and the estimated value of the contract is more than 924,000 lei (excluding VAT).

3. Work station 02630 Bucharestthe central structure of the Ministry of National Defense with responsibilities in the field of national security, wants to purchase 2 city cars.

• “The cars covered by this procedure are designed to ensure fast and safe transportation of personnel and their luggage on various categories of roads, regardless of their condition, at any time of the year.
• The wagons that will be purchased will replace the existing wagons that have worn out and exceeded their service life,” says the TU.

The auction started on April 30, 2023 and has an estimated price of 640,000 lei (without VAT).

4. Work station 02605 Bucharestwants to buy 6 city cars. The auction started on April 27, and the estimated value of the contract is more than 715 thousand lei (without VAT).

The tender board wants to purchase 4 cars under a simplified procedure

The tender board wants to purchase 4 cars under a simplified procedure.

The tender of the tender body was announced on May 4, 2023, and the estimated value of the contract is more than 380,000 lei (excluding VAT).

Two Skoda Octavias in the Ministry of Labor, dozens of other cars in retirement homes

A wave of direct purchases has recently been noted Christian Guinea (USR) who accused Labor Minister Marius Budai of simply buying 60 cars as an emergency.

• “Minister Budai ordered all district boarding houses to buy cars – 42 Dusters, and 16 of them also bought Ford Pumas. Marius Budai bought two Skoda Octavias from the ministry. All without an auction, from April 24 to May 2. A total of 60 new cars worth 5.7 million lei.” accused Guineacoordinator of the USR Public Policy Department, News.ro quotes.

State Secretary of the Ministry of Labor, Christian Vasilkoiu (PSD) responded on Facebook, saying that the purchase of these cars was budgeted from December 2022 by the National State Pension Fund (which is the main customer of loans and does not receive money from the budget of the Ministry of Labor), as the current one is more than 15 years old, and many of them already do not function.

• “In principle, we are talking about one machine in each district, and procedures have been started since the beginning of the year through the Rabla program. It would cost more to endlessly repair today’s cars.” – wrote Christian Vasylkoiu.

Vasilcoiu, about cars urgently bought by the Ministry of Labor: We are trying to see if we can terminate the contract

When asked by HotNews.ro how to explain the direct purchase of two Skoda cars by the Ministry of Labor, Christian Vasilkoiu said that they were also included in the 2023 budget.

• “The amount is below the ceiling, you still can’t find cars for 23,000 euros. They were foreseen in the budget for 2023, which was approved in December 2022. But given the situation, we’re trying to see if we can terminate the contract.” Kristian Vasylkoy told HotNews.ro about this on Thursday.

The wave of direct purchases is also in health insurance companies

However, data analyzed by HotNews.ro show that not only the Ministry of Labor and Pensions have recently bought cars without an auction, through the direct purchase procedure.

A wave of direct car purchases has also recently been launched by CNAS-led health insurance companies, as evidenced by data from the e-procurement system:

• Brasov Medical Insurance Company: over 19,800 euros (125 HP Ford Puma Hybrid).
• Bihor Medical Insurance Company: 83,500 lei.
• Health insurance company Olt: more than 19,000 euros (Taigo Life 110 CP ()
• Bacau Health Insurance Company: over 17,000 euros (Skoda Kamiq 110 HP)
• Iasi Medical Insurance Company: over 16,600 euros – Dacia Duster
• Botosani Medical Insurance Company: over €16,400 – Renault Megane Sedan Authentic
• Medical insurance company Cluj: over 16,600 euros – Dacia Duster
• Medical insurance company Maramures: more than 15,300 euros – a new Megane Sedan

Purchases after auctions launched in February and March: 22 limousines in the Senate / 16 cars in the ANAF and 4 in the Economy

Other institutions have recently purchased dozens of cars through auctions that began in February and March of this year, including:

• Senate: more than 4.1 million lei for 22 limousine cars. The tender was launched on March 3, 2023, and was awarded by Avia Motors on April 18, 2023.
• ANAF: 16 cars for the government fleet. The tender was announced in February 2023 and was awarded on April 11, 2023 by Renault Commercial Roumanie.
• Ministry of Economy: 4 cars at a price of 379,000 lei (without VAT). The tender was announced in February 2023 and awarded to Renault Commercial Roumanie on 10 April 2023.

Prime Minister Nicolae Chuke announced that on Friday the government will pass the so-called austerity decree, which will, among other things, “reduce by 50% the positions of advisers among civil servants”. Government sources said on Wednesday that “around 500 posts of personal advisers to high-ranking individuals will be abolished”.