Plzeň has achieved significant financial savings in public tenders for construction and other events and projects since last year. Contractors want the contracts and thanks to the high competition, the prices achieved for many investments are often up to a third lower than the design prices. Last year, the city saved tens of millions of crowns, its spokeswoman Eva Barborková announced today. According to her, it is not yet possible to talk about a long-term trend.
For example, she said the investment department had savings of 15 to 20 per cent in 2023 for realisations and one per cent for design work. The Housing Department registers savings of 23 to 37 percent. “The design cost of the New Shuferajn apartment building in Malesice was 54 million, but the final amount is CZK 41 million, so the saving is 23 percent. For the reconstruction of the former conservatory in Doubravka, the projected price of the work was CZK 175 million, but in the end it will be CZK 15 million lower thanks to the competition,” said Mayor Roman Zarzycký (ANO). For the reconstruction of the cultural house in Červený Hrádek, where starter flats and flats for the elderly will be built, the projected price was CZK 65 million, but the price achieved through the competition was CZK 41 million, 37 percent lower.
Savings of 20 to 30 percent are also recorded by the Infrastructure Management Department, which ensures the development of sports grounds or concludes contracts for the installation of utilities. “I can confirm that for three contracts, for example, the reconstruction of the sports field and field hockey pitch in the area of the 4th Primary School and the construction of changing rooms and refreshment facilities in the Prokopávka area, we were 20 to 30 percent below the expected value last year. We will see what the trend will be this year, the first tenders are still underway,” said the head of the department Veronika Vítová.
The management of the public estate is also competing more cheaply. For example, prices are lower by 16 percent on average for roads and earthworks, by a tenth for maintenance and cleaning work, and they save units of percent for footbridges, bridges and traffic lights.
“We have a highly pro-investment budget and we have CZK 8.5 billion worth of projects in the budget and outlooks for the next three years alone. If we tender many of them at lower prices, there will be significant savings in the long run. We are ready to invest them immediately in projects that will help us further improve life in Pilsen,” added Zarzycký.
Source: Plzeň city and CTK
