Chamber of Commerce of Serbia issues certificates of domestic origin of goods

Chamber of Commerce of Serbia (PKS) announced yesterday (July 20, 2009) that it had got the authorization to issue Certificate of domestic origin of goods, at the request of bidder, as a proof in the public procurement procedure.

It is stated in the announcement that, from now on, bidders will have to ask the Bureau for credit worthiness, registry, issuing and verification of documents within the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia for the certificate of domestic origin of goods.

As it has been specified, PKS was given authorization by the Rules governing determination of proofs, based on which it is determined that the bid is submitted by a local bidder, and determination of goods of domestic origin, which was passed by Minister of Finance Diana Dragutinović, and it was published in Official Bulletin and put in effect on July 18, 2009.

The aim of that regulation from the Rules passed by the Ministry of Finance is to give an advantage to local bidders who offer the goods produced in the country over those who offer the goods of foreign origin.

PKS may request additional documentation from bidders, it checks the accuracy of data and it can choose not to issue the requested certificate.

The Law on public procurements stipulates that, in case of application of criteria of the lowest offered price, when there are bidders who offer the goods of both domestic and foreign origin, the orderer must choose the bid of the bidder who offers the goods of domestic origin, under condition that the price in that case is not more than 20% higher than the one asked by the bidder who offers goods of foreign origin.