A red light has flashed again in the Prozorro system: the record spending of the week is accompanied by no less record-breaking questions. Over 72 thousand publicized purchases for almost 19 billion hryvnias, but in the spotlight is one: 1.6 billion, which the Restoration Service in the Mykolaiv region sent to the Rostdorstroy company according to a procedure that causes at least surprise, and in fact - suspicion of manipulation.
Formally, this is about “operational road maintenance.” This is how the law calls local and small-scale work — from clearing snow to installing signs or repairing minor damage. From the state’s perspective, this is a quick response to problems, not infrastructure investments. But from the perspective of the Restoration Service’s documents, it is a convenient cover for work of a completely different scale.
According to the terms of the tender, instead of spot repairs, the contractor must perform milling of the old pavement and laying a new layer of asphalt. This volume is traditionally defined as medium or major repairs, but by no means maintenance of the operational condition. Preliminary calculations show: the declared volumes allow for the renewal of about 30 kilometers of road - in fact, a separate road project, only hidden in a technical category that does not provide for competition.
And this is not the first time. In September, the Restoration Service ordered similar work from Rostdorstroy — also under the banner of “operational maintenance.” Then the State Audit Service became interested in the definitions and demanded explanations: why are major repairs disguised as maintenance?
The officials' response illustrated how easily state regulations can be reinterpreted if the need arises. Milling? This turns out to be an "emergency correction of the profile." Laying a new layer? "A measure to prevent deterioration." Replacing significant sections of the road surface? "Temporary work that does not change the design."
And most importantly, the State Administration of State Procurement accepted this logic. Therefore, further purchases under this scheme not only became possible, but they received a kind of indulgence. Already in October, the customer repeated the purchase, and this time the prices even increased by about 3%, which looks especially contrasting against the background of general budget restrictions.
Thus, a new type of “operational maintenance” has emerged in Ukraine — when, under the guise of urgent work, state customers carry out large-scale asphalting without full-fledged bidding and necessary control. This not only replaces the content of the legislation, but also creates a separate class of road contracts that are effectively excluded from competition.
