In Ukraine, a "transparent construction" system will be introduced for procurement

In Ukraine, a "transparent construction" system will be introduced for procurement

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a bill obligating the publication of cost estimates for construction work in public procurement. This decision is aimed at combating corruption and enhancing transparency in public construction projects.

This was reported by Member of Parliament Yaroslav Zheleznyak ("Holos"). According to him, the new law provides access to all information about construction prices, including the cost of such key materials as concrete, logs, rebar, and others.

This allows for the evaluation of whether state bodies or contractors are attempting to inflate costs, and makes the construction procurement process more transparent and controllable. The law was initiated by Anastasia Radina, head of the Verkhovna Rada’s Anti-Corruption Committee. She emphasized that all construction cost estimates will be published on the Prozorro platform alongside contracts concluded with contractors. This practice will significantly reduce opportunities for corrupt schemes and price manipulation.

Once the law comes into effect, all bidders for construction contracts, including road projects, will be required to publish estimates on Prozorro within three working days from concluding a contract with a contractor or amending this contract. This applies to all construction materials used in the building process, allowing the public to see transparent and up-to-date prices for each type of material.

However, the law also provides specific conditions for the construction of fortifications during martial law. In such cases, bidders will be obliged to publish only an abridged report on the concluded agreement, without revealing details that could jeopardize the safety of either the bidder or the contractor.

The implementation of this law will not only help make the procurement process more transparent but also provide new tools for combating corruption. As Yaroslav Zheleznyak noted, the law will pose a challenge for some state bodies, particularly the Ministry of Energy and Energoatom, which will now have to carefully monitor their procurements.

Anti-corruption organizations, notably the Anti-Corruption Action Center (ANTAC), made a significant contribution to drafting this law, being one of the drivers of this process. Their active involvement in advocating for the law is expected to be an important step toward reducing corruption risks in state-level construction projects.

The new law is expected to become a key tool in combating corruption in construction, especially amid the increasing number of state projects. Transparency of cost estimates will prevent budget manipulation and ensure spending control at every stage of construction work. Open access to pricing information will enable public organizations and journalists to conduct independent procurement monitoring and identify possible abuses.