Skip to main content

Polish procurement practice problems publicised

A study reveals construction sector worries about public procurement practice in Poland. The study was commissioned by the Polish Ministry of Infrastructure and Development. Ulrich Paetzold, director general of FIEC, the European Construction Industry Federation commented that the study on how 'to implement intervention priorities as foreseen by the National Development Strategy 2020', “…confirms yet again some of the fundamental problems repeatedly stressed over several years by contractors and consulting
June 23, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
A study reveals construction sector worries about public procurement practice in Poland. The study was commissioned by the Polish Ministry of Infrastructure and Development. Ulrich Paetzold, director general of FIEC, the 6164 European Construction Industry Federation commented that the study on how 'to implement intervention priorities as foreseen by the National Development Strategy 2020', “…confirms yet again some of the fundamental problems repeatedly stressed over several years by contractors and consulting engineers in relation to the practice of procurement processes and contract management of infrastructure contracts in Poland."

"This study is another wake-up call for the Polish government to finally counter the deteriorating business conditions in the Polish infrastructure market, as illustrated already in February 2014 by a comprehensive Ernst &Young analysis of the road infrastructure market in Poland," added Frank Kehlenbach, director of EIC, the European International Contractors.

The issues highlighted by the expert study include untimely materialisation of strategic plans, low quality of design documentation, award of contracts based on the lowest-price and incompetence of clients in supervising and cooperating with the designers. They also include inappropriate risk distribution between the client and the contractor (assigning risks to contractors that are beyond their influence) and frequent changes in legislation due to systemic or operational deficiencies.

FIEC and EIC, together with their Polish partners, PZPB and ZPBUI are appealing again to the Polish government to take the necessary steps in order to remedy the shortcomings and counterproductive practices shown in several independent expert studies, in particular, to stop the current policy of shifting typical client's risks, to the construction industry.

The Polish construction sector looks forward to intensifying its collaboration with the current and future Minister for Transport and Development, in order to find both quick solutions for current problems and ways to improve the efficiency of infrastructure project management in the long-term.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • IRF hosts high-level debate on the Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) at ITF Summit 2019
    August 12, 2019
    HE Mehmet Cahit Turhan, minister of Transport and Infrastructure of Turkey, opened with a keynote address at the session on "The Belt & Road: Bridging the gaps for sustainable transport and growth in EurAsia". This was organised by the International Road Federation (IRF) on 22nd May 2019 at the ITF Summit 2019 in Leipzig. The panel included top representatives from the World Bank, BSEC, AIIB, IATA, Michelin and PwC and offered a deep insight into key topics surrounding the BRI. Organised jointly with th
  • Infrastructure needs for Europe
    June 19, 2012
    The European Construction Industry Federation (FIEC) is calling on the European Governments to recognise the importance of investing in infrastructure. The FIEC says it recognises the challenging economic climate and the need for governments to cut unsustainable levels of public debt. But FIEC president Luisa Todini commented, “Austerity is however not a solution by itself.” Europe’s transport, energy and telecommunication networks are the backbone of the EU internal market, ensuring that goods and services
  • The European Union Road Federation (ERF) calls for EU Member States to prioritise road maintenance
    June 26, 2014
    The European Union Road Federation (ERF) has put out an “urgent” call for “EU Member States to prioritise road maintenance” as neglected surfaces continue to deteriorate and the potholes grow larger and larger. ERF wants the EU to “put alternative financing mechanisms into place” as soon as possible, to tackle what it sees as a growing road safety crisis across the region. At its first ERF biennial Symposium on Road Infrastructure Challenges in June, more than 100 stakeholders heard the ERF demand the “ope
  • FIDIC calls for greater collaboration to deliver infra projects
    October 18, 2018
    The International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) has called for better collaboration between investors, developers and consulting engineers throughout a project’s life cycle. Chief executive Nelson Ogunshakin made his appeal in an address to an audience of government representatives, multilateral development banks, private sector investors and financiers at the recent World Bank Global Infrastructure Facility advisory council meeting in Singapore. He said that working together to achieve b