“EU funding has perverse effects in Hungary in public procurement; it has helped reduce the intensity of competition, increased the level of corruption risk and the weight of price distortion,” CRCB said in its report prepared for the European Commission. In 2016, there was only one bidder at 28% of the public procurements, which indicates a high risk of corruption, it added.

It estimated that the direct social loss due to weak competition and high level of corruption risks during the eight-year period amounted to Ft 2-3.3 trillion, equalling 15-24% of the total spending via public procurement.

That is the amount the winners have pocketed on top of their justified costs, with the help of the government, 444 and Napi said.

Source: Hungary Around the Clock

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