Sečanj municipality started a public procurement process aiming to hire a private partner to provide services of public lighting overhaul, to install, maintain and manage a wireless-controlled LED system.
“We offered a model of paying the private partner monthly from our budget during the 12 years of the contract duration,” Novak Zubac, head of the local public construction, road management and housing company, told Balkan Green Energy News. Unfortunately, he added, there is no possibility for help from public funds, neither from the central government nor the provincial authority of Vojvodina, as specialized lines as well as mainstream projects have become scarce, while Sečanj is reluctant to take bank loans. Sečanj is situated in Serbia’s northeast. “The project covers entire municipality’s territory and we decided to introduce a private–public partnership in order to achieve savings and we believe they will be significant for our small community, which has a modest funding capacity,” Zubac said. He underscored long-term savings on power expenses, equipment and maintenance should be 70%. This is the local authority’s first energy efficiency project, he said.
The offers in Serbian language are received until June 29 at noon. The lowest bid price is the main criterion for the concession, and the deadline for the completion of works is 60 days, the ad says. The invitation to submit bids is available for download in English on the municipality’s website.