Public Control Over Governmental Purchases As A Way of Building A Civil Society

In modern conditions the state is the largest customer and consumer of goods, works and services and thereby it influences economic development. Therefore it is extremely important to provide the openness and transparency of procurement procedures, movement of money flows, allocated on purchases for the government and municipal needs.

Due to Russia’s transition to market relations over the past two decades, a qualitatively new approach in the system of state regulation of procurement activities is required. Planned, rigidly regulated processes of procurement have been replaced by the purchase of products on competitive terms, when the customer has the opportunity to choose from a large number of suppliers.

In the world practice a reliable mechanism of public procurement has been developed, as well as the fight against corruption in this sphere – procurement with the use of information resources is enshrined in legislation.

Today in the Russian Federation the subject of heated discussions in the economic community is the development of effective principles and approaches of modernization of the public procurement system. Scientists, economists, managers, lawyers, independent experts as well as the media pay increased attention to this problem due to the huge amount of budget funds which are allocated to the purchase of goods, works and services for state needs, as well as the high corruption component which is present in this area.