Better late than never
After a long delay, the Greek state sector has finally realized just how much costs can be reduced by conducting competitions and auctions electronically.
The numbers that were announced at an event hosted by the Independent Authority for Public Contracts were spectacular.
However, it took nine whole years, from 2002 to 2011, for this particular agreement to be signed with the contractor – and, of course, because, in the end, it turned out that it had been mandated by the first bailout.
The Greek state sector has long been denounced by its critics as dysfunctional and weighed down by unnecessary paperwork.
As such it has long been regarded – especially by the private sector – as an obstacle rather than a facilitator of economic growth and efficiency.
Now that the benefits of conducting electronic competitions are visible, let’s hope that the next electronic steps taken by the public sector happen faster and without the foot-dragging.
