quently, the reduction of public expenditure on
products, services and projects. This will be
achieved by simplifying procedures, cutting down
on red tape and establishing digital signatures,
both for the tendering authorities and for the
enterprises that participate in the tenders. These
regulations will enable more enterprises, small,
medium-sized and large, in Greece and abroad,
to participate in public procurement tenders with-
out any physical presence being required, by
simply using the Internet and a computer.
-
The saving of resources, through the drastic
reduction of the contracting authorities that hold
tenders, from almost 7,000 to approximately 700.
-
Centralized tendering will also generate
economies of scale: instead of many tenders
for the same product by separate state agen-
cies, only one tender will be held, covering the
needs of all the agencies.
-
The speeding up of procedures – this will be
achieved, apart from digitalizing the process,
through the use of standardized tender
announcement and contract templates, as well
as framework-contracts, which will reduce
objections, court contests etc.
The General Secretariat for Commerce is plan-
ning to launch information campaigns, also
through the chambers, in order to provide busi-
nesses with timely information about the ability to
participate in public procurement tenders, and
enable them to prepare and train themselves
appropriately on the use of the ESIDIS platform.
Furthermore, the draft law on the elimination of
barriers to entry in certain markets, based on the
proposals of the OECD, which undertook to pre-
pare the relevant study on behalf of the govern-
ment, will be tabled in Parliament by early 2014.
These measures are designed to boost competi-
tion and eliminate barriers in four sectors, which
account for a large part of Greece’s GDP
(tourism, construction materials, retail trade, food
processing), having contributed 44.2 billion euros
(or 21% of GDP) in 2011, and employing 1.48 mil-
lion people (36% of the total). The OECD study
identified hundreds of obstacles, whose elimina-
tion is expected to facilitate business activity,
boost competition and create the conditions for
lowering prices. These obstacles include regula-
tions regarding the imposition of minimum prices,
the preferential treatment of suppliers, a lack of
compliance with European standards, as well as
restrictions in distribution channels, advertising
and licensing.
Moreover, the Ministry of Development is taking
horizontal measures to simplify business licens-
ing procedures and reduce costs, on the basis of
the relevant proposals of the World Bank. The
main axis of this intervention is the elimination of
a series of licenses granted by the public admin-
istration and their replacement by compliance
statements submitted by the enterprises them-
selves. Thus, inspections will be moved up from
the licensing, to the operation stage. The first
phase will cover the industry, mining, aquaculture,
harbour works, environmental protection invest-
ment and business park sectors, as well as the
environmental licensing of all activities, wherever
applicable.
Trade with Greece
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