RTSH, PUBLIC TENDERS AND THE URGENT NEED FOR INSTITUTIONAL INVESTIGATION Written by Flamur Buçpapaj, former candidate for Director General of RTSH

RTSH, PUBLIC TENDERS AND THE URGENT NEED FOR INSTITUTIONAL INVESTIGATION
Written by Flamur Buçpapaj, former candidate for Director General of RTSH
I, Flamur Buçpapaj, former candidate for the leadership of the Albanian Radio and Television (RTSH), feel the civic and moral obligation to publicly address developments related to the management of public funds and procurement procedures within this institution.
This statement is not driven by personal interests, but by deep concern over the way taxpayers’ money is being handled and the apparent lack of genuine competition in certain tendering procedures that have been reported in the media.
I was once part of a process in which I hoped RTSH could be transformed into a modern, transparent, and professional institution, where competition would be fair and public funds would be managed with maximum responsibility. However, subsequent developments and publicly reported information compel me to conclude that reality remains concerning.
According to media reports, several procurement procedures within RTSH have been characterized by winning bids very close to the maximum budget limit, disqualification of bidders with significantly lower offers on formal grounds, and a clear lack of genuine economic competition. If these circumstances are confirmed after institutional verification, then we are dealing with a serious problem in the functioning of the public procurement system.
In a democratic state, public funds must be used as efficiently as possible, ensuring open and fair competition. Any deviation from this principle results in direct financial and institutional consequences. When a lower bid is excluded and the winner is awarded a contract almost identical to the maximum budget, it naturally raises concerns about the absence of real competition.
If such a situation is not properly controlled and independently investigated, it creates the dangerous perception that public tenders are not competitive but predetermined. Such a perception severely damages public trust in institutions and in the state itself.
The consequences are not only financial. The loss of public trust, distortion of the market, and discouragement of honest economic operators are effects that directly impact the long-term development of the country. When public funds are not managed with full transparency, the real loser is the citizen.
In this context, it is essential to emphasize that RTSH urgently needs a deep institutional reform and a transparent selection of the Director General, not behind closed political doors or hidden interests, but through an open, professional, and merit-based process. The institution cannot continue to be led by unprofessional individuals or by those indirectly appointed through interest groups, but must have independent and integrity-based leadership.
Any perception that decision-making within RTSH is influenced by external interests or groups serving agendas outside its public mission only further damages the credibility of this institution. RTSH must be a national public institution, not a closed space of influence that distorts its public function.
Given the importance of these issues, I hereby call on the Special Structure Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) to conduct a full and independent investigation into procurement procedures at RTSH, including the way competitions were conducted, the reasons for bidder disqualifications, compliance with public procurement law, and any other element related to the use of public funds.
This is not an accusation against specific individuals, but a request for transparency, justice, and institutional accountability.
Albania cannot move forward with a system where public tenders are perceived as formalities rather than real competition, and where public institutions are not subject to strong and independent oversight. There can be no economic development without trust in public institutions, and there can be no strong state without control over how citizens’ money is spent.
For this reason, this appeal to SPAK is not merely a personal opinion, but a call for institutional action in defense of the public interest and the democratic standards of the country.
Flamur Buçpapaj
Former candidate for Director General of RTSH