Improving Competitive Practices in Hungary’s Public Procurement

Investment Rating - The report does not explicitly provide an investment rating for the public procurement industry in Hungary. Core Insights - The report highlights that public procurement in Hungary accounts for 16.4% of GDP and 33.8% of government expenditure, indicating its significant role in the economy [7] - The Hungarian government has committed to reducing the share of public procurement resulting in single bids to below 15% for both EU and national funded projects [17] - The report emphasizes the need for a multifaceted approach to improve competition in public procurement, addressing various root causes of low supplier participation [8] Summary by Sections Executive Summary - Hungary has a high rate of single-bid procedures, with a drop to 33% in 2022 from around 40% during 2019-2021 [17] - The government is implementing reforms to enhance competition, including a monitoring tool and a performance measurement framework [17][18] Chapter 1: The Role of Competition - Competition is essential for achieving value for money in public procurement, with significant cost savings associated with competitive processes [27] - The prevalence of single-bid procedures is a major concern, with single bidding increasing prices by approximately 9.6% [31] Chapter 2: State of Competition in Hungary - The report analyzes the existing frameworks for measuring competition, including the Single-bid Reporting Tool and the Public Procurement Performance Measurement Framework [45] - It provides an overview of competition levels across various sectors and regions in Hungary [45] Chapter 3: Strengthening Collaboration - The report discusses the need for better coordination among key stakeholders in the public procurement system to enhance competition [21] - It suggests that the government should streamline monitoring and control systems to avoid overlaps and ensure consistent interpretation of laws [21] Chapter 4: Enhancing Capacities - Recommendations include improving the capacities of contracting authorities and bidders to make procurement opportunities more attractive [24] - The report emphasizes the importance of training for both public procurement officials and private sector participants, especially SMEs [24] Chapter 5: Recommendations - The report outlines specific measures for enhancing competition, including mandatory market consultations and action plans for contracting authorities [34] - It stresses the importance of continuous monitoring and assessment of the impact of implemented measures on competition levels [22]