Lithuanian PM on NPP service purchases without public procurement

VILNIUS - Recently Lithuanian press released information claiming that companies managing the decommissioning of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant and working on the construction of a new nuclear power plant had acquired consulting and public relations services for 9 million litas (2.6 million euros) without any public procurement competition.

Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius says that these companies should comment on the allegations by themselves.

However, he also pointed out that sometimes only few companies can provide certain services.

"The representatives of the Visaginas Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) should give the answers to the questions on the type of services and the ways these services were purchased. I just want to point out that these are indeed very large projects that require the highest quality service whether of lawyers or other experts. Sometimes it happens that only few companies provide such services based on their experience and qualifications," PM said in an interview with Ziniu Radijas this morning.