Monday, May 4th 2026
On the grounds that the group of companies that prepared the only offer for the works worth 22 million euros does not meet the required criteria, the Ministry of Culture in April canceled the procurement process for the restoration of the National Library of Kosovo. But the complaint made to the Public Procurement Review Body by the leading company of the consortium has caused the process to open again
The Ministry of Culture at the beginning of last month canceled the procurement process for the restoration of the National Library of Kosovo. He did this on the grounds that the group of companies that prepared the only offer for the works worth 22 million euros does not meet the required criteria. But the complaint made to the Public Procurement Review Body by the leading company of the consortium has caused the process to be opened again.
“The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports cancels the procurement activity entitled: ‘Work for the implementation of the detailed project [main implementer], of architecture and engineering, for the conservation and restoration of the National Library of Kosovo, in Pristina, in the Republic of Kosovo'”, announced The Ministry of Culture at the beginning of April for the process started in August last year. The group of companies that offered are “Limitproject SH.P.K”, “Rinesa SH.P.K”, “Delta – CCD SH.P.K” and “Alping SH.P.K”. They offered to do the restoration for 21 million 956 thousand 811 euros.
According to the reasoning of the decision of the Ministry of Culture, after the evaluation of the offer, the commission concluded that the economic operator did not meet the requirement of professional technical capacity. According to MKRS, it was necessary to provide proof of competence for sufficient experience in the relevant sector, and for this purpose, it was necessary to prove that during the past three years it has implemented architecture and engineering contracts for the conservation and restoration of cultural heritage assets in the amount of at least 5 million euros. Also, evidence of work has been requested for the implementation of detailed architecture and engineering projects for the construction or renovation of public buildings in the amount of at least 10 million euros.
“For each member of the group of economic operators, the financial value of similar projects has been calculated and after the evaluation it has not been able to fulfill the financial value of 5 million euros… The group of economic operators for this criterion has provided evidence in lists of contracts, of similar contracts that cover the total value 4 million and 925 thousand euros”, it is written in the reasoning of the decision. Also, according to the reasoning, it turns out that the criterion of 10 million has not been met either, since the group of economic operators has brought evidence worth 6 million and 651 thousand euros.
“We have made that decision, but now we will see how the procedure will go as there may be complaints”, the Ministry of Culture told TIME at the time. “Limitproject LLC”. According to this company, they have documentation that only in the field of cultural heritage they have carried out works worth 6.4 million euros. Construction and renovation work in the amount of 8.4 million euros. The claims in the complaint are that the other collaborators also have public contracts that reach the figures for 3.4 and 2 million euros.
“The decision of the Contracting Authority to eliminate the Economic Operator and cancel the procurement activity is illegal, arbitrary and based on a distorted assessment of the facts and criteria of the Tender Dossier. This decision does not represent a legal exercise of administrative discretion, but a clear deviation from the provisions of the Law on Public Procurement and its basic principles”, the complaint reads. The company also has several other claims related to the management of the procurement process by the Ministry of Culture for this case. The company asks the Public Procurement Review Body to cancel the decision to eliminate the economic operator, to cancel the decision to cancel the procurement procedure, and “to return the matter to a fair, complete reassessment in accordance with the Law on Public Procurement”. the applicant in the tender did not meet the selection criteria, criteria announced in the Public Tender File by the Ministry.
“Intervention is necessary, however, given the complexity of the object and its status as a cultural heritage under permanent protection, the conservation and renovation process requires a careful, responsible approach and based on the highest professional standards, with the aim of preserving the authenticity and identity of the building”, he said it.
The Chairman of the Governing Council of the National Library of Kosovo, academician Bardh Rugova, said that it is not necessary to do anything quickly.
“Some of today’s problems are the result of what has been done quickly and quickly at the top of the schedule. However, we wish that the work will be completed as successfully as possible”, said Rugova.
The building of the National Library of Kosovo, designed by the Croatian architect Andrija Mutnjakovic, has been in operation since 1982. On May 26, 1982, the National Library of Kosovo began work in the then new building, symbolizing academician Esad Mekul as the first reader. The solemn inauguration of this object takes place on November 25, 1982, on Library Day. The library is built in a four-story structure, with a total area of 16,500 square meters, of which 13,500 square meters are usable areas.
“The building is characterized by a composition of domes wrapped in a skeletal steel membrane, which, in combination with the zenith lighting through the domes, provides ample lighting and protection from excessive insulation. This structure is designed to provided optimal conditions for storage and access to the library’s large funds”, it is written on the website of the institution.
Croatian architect Andrija Mutnjakovic, in November 2024, was present at the 80th anniversary of the foundation of the BKK. In a presentation and conversation with architecture students at the Modelarium of the Faculty of Architecture, academician Mutnjakovic said that he worked on all projects with people in the foreground. For the Library, he had said that it was not an accidental vision.
“Europe is small and has its own architectural identity. Our part of Europe is based on Byzantine architecture. There is a long tradition of Byzantine forms. Natural light is meant to be versatile. Another aspect is the constant connection with nature”, said Mutnjakovic.
As for interventions in the National Library of Kosovo, one of the last interventions was that of the year 2020 when the roof insulation was done. With nearly 200 thousand euros, a long-standing problem was rectified.
We use cookies to improve the experience and to display ads (Google AdSense).
By clicking “Accept”, you agree to the use of cookies according to
Privacy Policy
and
Cookies Policy.
You can reject non-necessary cookies by clicking “Reject”.
Source: prizrenpost
Etiketa: Brief
