Audit of the Call for Protecting Regions did not show irregularities

Internal audit tender for restructuring of coal regions No major irregularities showed, but certain deficiencies were detected, the Ministry of the Economy said.

Following the publication of the results of the call for restructuring of the Zasavska and Savinjsko-Šaleška regions and disclosure that the most money-€ 20 million-was allocated to the small companies Vonpharma SI and Vital Qi, which have the same founder Tadeja von Horvathais the Minister of Economy Matjaz Han called for the audit of the call. Criminals are investigating this, and Spirit has been annulled by the call.

The disadvantages are that the contract between the Ministry and Spirit does not indicate the actual state of the division of work tasks in the preparation of the public tender, that the tender documentation was not published the same day as the public tender was published, that calls for submission of applications and informing applicants by approving the funds were subsequently carried out later than specified in the call, and that the commission should request additional explanations of applicants.

Above all, it is noted that when preparing a public tender, which supports major investments and economic restructuring of regions, such conditions for applicants who realistically allow the operation to be carried out in the region and will be the bearer of progress in the long term. Both regional development agencies, which were involved in the preparation of the tender conditions, advocated the more loose conditions for applicants.

Han said: “Due to the great distrust of the public in the implementation of this call, I think it was right that we canceled the call. This, of course, does not mean that we will not support all good projects for development in coal regions. However, in the new calls, we will absolutely follow both the guidelines and the findings of the audit, thus eliminating the defects perceived. « 

SPIRIT approved € 52.5 million from the Fair Transition Fund for the Savinja-Šalek Coal Coal Region to 15 companies and € 30.5 million to nine Zasava companies. That being said, the said call was then overturned.