Expensive purchases during the pandemic, institutions spent about 1.5 million Euros for disinfection
By Visar Prebreza
Kosovo institutions have paid different prices for disinfection of buildings and outdoor spaces as a measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19, spending about 1.5 million Euros in the process. Most of the contracts were signed with a negotiated procedure during the first three months when the first case of infection with the virus causing the COVID-19 pandemic in Kosovo was ascertained.
Many institutions have already started to do disinfection themselves, but this is being seen as risky by experts because expertise is required for the combination of agents required to disinfect buildings and outdoor spaces.
Institutions have paid from 0.11 Euros to 1 Euro per square meter of dissinfected area Some of the municipalities have paid prices of 0.50 Euros per square meter of disinfected area.
Lulzim Katanolli, president of the “DDD Kosova Association”, says that there was an abuse with prices for disinfection of buildings and outdoor spaces. He said that the real price should be from 0.17 to 0.27 Euros per square meter, depending on the agents that were used and the distance of the facilities that should be disinfected.
He says that even disinfections below a reasonable price are dangerous as they may be using agents that do not achieve the purpose of disinfection, so they do not have the effect of preventing the spread of the virus.
“In addition to the agents, the distance of the facilities, the costs of workers and the depreciation of the equipment must be taken into consideration as well. “However, the agents used incure the main cost of disinfection,” said Katanolli.
The Municipality of Gjakova/Ðakovica had signed a contract with the company called “Truly Nolen” for disinfection of buildings on March 26, 2020, or only 13 days after the first case of COVID-19 infection in Kosovo was announced.
The contract signed with a negotiated procedure provides for the disinfection of facilities of public institutions, but also some collective buildings in which the first cases of COVID-19 infection were reported. The contracted price for disinfection of 1 square meter was 0.23 Euros. The only exception was the disinfection of outdoor spaces, which had a price of 0.22 Euros per m2 and disinfection of 60 thousand square meters was foreseen. In total, the amount of 98 thousand 800 Euros was foreseen in this contract for the disinfection of 200 thousand square meters of facilities and 60 thousand m2 of outdoor spaces.
At the same time, on March 23, the municipality of Podujeva/Podujevo signed a contract for disinfection of public buildings and spaces. This municipality had signed a contract based on negotiated procedure with a company called “DDD Shpk” for disinfection of outdoor spaces for 0.19 Euros per square meter, and 0.24 Euros per square meter for disinfection of buildings.
The Municipality of Ferizaj/Uroševac had signed a contract for disinfection of public buildings and spaces on April 22, 2020 with a company called “Ecology”. The contract signed with a negotiated procedure did not provide details about the facilities and spaces that will be disinfected, but only the price per square meter and the total that was intended to be disinfected. The price for disinfection of outdoor spaces and facilities has not been determined, as was the case in other municipalities. It was determined that the municipality would pay 0.47 Euros for disinfection of one square meter. It is foreseen that the municipality will spend 50 thousand Euros for disinfection of municipal spaces and facilities. This price paid by the municipality of Ferizaj/Uroševac is higher than the prices paid by other institutions for the same service.
The same company “Ekologjia” has also signed a contract for disinfection of public buildings and spaces with Shtime/Štimlje Municipality. The contract was signed on April 23, 2020. A price of 0.27 Euros was contracted for the disinfection of outdoor spaces, while a price of 0.32 Euros was set for public buildings. In total, the municipality of Shtime/Štimlje has spent 33 thousand 289 Euros only for this contract.
On April 14, 2020, the Municipality of Suhareka/Suva Reka had signed a contract for disinfection of buildings and outdoor spaces with the business called “Samire Osmani B.I”. The signed contract in the amount of 19 thousand 840 Euros contained a great detail: each facility had a separate disinfection price. Facilities that had a large surface area to be disinfected had a cheaper price compared to those with a smaller surface area, which were up to three times more expensive.
In the contract signed based on negotiated procedure, the price for disinfection of the municipal building was only 0.30 Euros per m2. Other buildings had a price of 0.35 Euros, 0.50, but there were buildings for which the set a price was 1 Euro per m2.
One of the municipalities that paid the most for disinfection of spaces was that of Dragash/Dragaš. This municipality had signed two contracts for disinfection of buildings and outdoor spaces through a negotiated procedure. It signed the first contract on March 23, 2020 with the company “DDD Preventiva” in the amount of 5 thousand Euros. Disinfection per square meter was contracted for only 0.10 Euros. Whereas, it had signed the second contract on May 15, 2020 with the company “Alfa DDD”. The contract that had a total value of 9 thousand Euros had provided significantly cheaper prices than the contract signed with other municipalities. Disinfection of public buildings and spaces was contracted for only 0.09 Euros (9 cents) per square meter.
Unlike Dragash/Dragaš, the Obiliq/Obilić Municipality paid a significantly higher price for disinfection of buildings and outdoor spaces. This municipality had signed three contracts for disinfection, all through a negotiated procedure. The first contract signed on March 20, 2020 with the company “DDD shpk” for disinfection of 18 thousand 746 square meters had a total value of 10 thousand 685 Euros, or 0.57 Euros per m2. The second contract was also signed with the same company. Although the title of the contract says disinfection, deratization and disinfestation of public facilities, the works to be performed only indicate that disinfection of facilities will be performed as needed. The contract was signed on April 20, 2020 with the company “DDD shpk” for disinfection of 50 thousand 746 square meters against a price of 24 thousand 500 Euros or 0.49 Euros per m2.
The Municipality of Prishtina/Priština had signed five contracts for disinfection of public buildings and spaces, only one of them with open procedure.
The first contract for disinfection of facilities in the Municipality of Prishtina/Priština and other municipal institutions was signed on April 26, 2020 with the company called “Truly Nolen”, in the amount of 41 thousand 557 Euros, while the price per square meter was 0.20 Euros. At the same price, of 0.20 Euros per m2, a contract for disinfection of the entrances of new residential buildings was signed in the amount of 15 thousand 600 Euros with the company called “Doctor Exterminator DDD”. Whereas on August 20, 2020, a new contract was signed by the Municipality of Prishtina/Priština with the company called “Krasniqi SHPK” in a total value of 14 thousand 940 Euros or only 0.088 Euros (8.8 cents) per m2. In December 2020 the Municipality of Prishtina/Priština signed a contract with the company called “DDD shpk”, through an open procedure tender. The tender was opened in June 2020, but the contract was signed only in March 2021. The contracted price for this contract was 0.19 Euros per 1 square meter. This price was the highest that was offered, while other bids were eliminated from the competition as irresponsible.
The Municipality of South Mitrovica signed a contract for disinfection with the company called “Eko DDD” in the amount of 11 thousand 377 Euros. This contract envisaged the disinfection of 45 thousand 511 m2, which means 0.24 Euros per m2 have been paid.
The contract was signed on April 20, 2020 through negotiated procedure. On March 20, 2020, the Municipality of Viti/Vitina signed the contract for disinfection with the company called “Ecology”. The price for disinfection of the indoor spaces of buildings was set at 0.29 Euros, while the outdoor spaces were disinfected at a price of 0.27 Euros.
The Student Center has paid only 0.13 Euros per m2 for disinfection of indoor facilities. The contract was signed through negotiated procedure on May 6, 2020 and had a total value of 97 thousand Euros.
The Municipality of Fushë Kosovë has violated the PPRC regulation by failing to publish the signed contracts for disinfection of public buildings and spaces.
Institution |
Object disinfection Price for m2
|
Gjakovë/Ðakovica
|
0.23 € |
Podujeva/Podujevo
|
0.24 €
|
Ferizaj/Uroševac
|
0.47 € |
Shtime/Štimlje |
0.32 € |
Suhareka/Suva Reka |
0.30 € |
Dragash/Dragaš |
0.10 €
|
Obiliq/Obilić
|
0.57 €
|
Prishtinë/Priština |
0.20 €
|
South Mitrovica
|
0.24 € |
Viti/Vitina
|
0.29 €
|
Student Center |
0.13 € |
Lulzim Katanolli, president of the “DDD Kosova Association” said that the institutions do not have the right to disinfect the premises as they do not meet two of the main preconditions: training of staff to do disinfection and combination of agents and do not have appropriate equipment to disinfect facilities.Most disinfection contracts are signed in the first half of 2020, or immediately after the first COVID-19 cases appeared in Kosovo. Far fewer contracts were signed during the second half of 2020 and the first half of 2021. The Association of Disinfection Companies says that the institutions started to do disinfection of interior of the facilities themselves.
Katanolli said that not every pump is suitable for disinfection against the spread of infections.
“Some of the pumps we are seeing that are used for disinfection are used for potatoes, but in no way can they be used for disinfection of indoor spaces as the protection will only last for 3 hours. “With disinfection pumps and equipment used by some of the licensed companies, the protection time is 21 days”, he said.
Katanolli, who is an epidemiologist by profession, says that the mistake in combining disinfectants can be very dangerous for the equipment located inside the building but also for the health of the residents.
He says that before the pandemic was announced, there were about 50 companies licensed for disinfection, and in a short time after, the number went to 132 companies.
“In the past we were 12-13 companies active in this line of business, while in short time, many businesses started to do disinfection, despite the fact that they did not have the necessary preparation or equipment to do so.”, said the President of the Association of Disinfection Companies.
Most of these contracts were signed in the first half of 2020. KALLXO.com has researched the market to see prices for disinfection. If a price is required for disinfection of larger spaces, i.e about 1,000 square meters, the price for disinfection is lower. One of the contracted companies has offered a starting price of 0.15 Euros per m2. However, it later offered a discount.
Even cheaper offers have been received from other companies. One of the companies offered a price of 0.12 Euros, but there were also prices offered at 0.20 Euros. There was difference in prices because the offer was requested for smaller spaces. The price of the companies also varied due to the location where the disinfection would take place.
Most disinfection contracts are concluded through a negotiated procedure without the publication of a contract notice. This procedure has been constantly criticized as in addition to restricting competition it is more vulnerable to corruption scandals. Institutions have used similar procedures for other expenses incurred during the pandemic, such as the purchase of disinfectants, protective masks and medicines.
Disclaimer:
This article was produced with the financial support of the EU funded project “Contribute to exposing flaws in institutional efforts to fighting COVID-19 pandemic through new legislation pieces and public contracts” implemented by Democracy Plus (D+). Its contents are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of D+ and of the European Union.