Changing legislation

A government proposal on an amendment of the Act on a Limited Liability Company Called Hansel Oy was submitted to Parliament in October 2019. The government proposed adding to Hansel’s duties the maintenance and development of the procurement notice channel (Hilma), the processing and analysis of procurement data, and the opportunity to engage in international joint procurement. The government also proposed that all agencies and departments falling under the scope of the on-budget activities would have to surrender procurement and tendering data to Hansel. For the rest of Hansel’s customers, the right to surrender corresponding data was proposed.

The proposal aimed at efficient, professional analysis of procurement data to promote transparency of administration and to improve the prerequisites for knowledge-based management. The purpose is for the procurement data to be available mainly through electronic systems, such as the purchase account system and tendering systems. The transfer of the maintenance and development responsibility for the procurement notice system to Hansel aimed at a technical reform of the outdated system, which would facilitate the submittal and monitoring of notices, as well as the preparation of statistics on procurement notices.

The government proposal was processed by the Parliament Commerce Committee and the Constitutional Law Committee in the autumn of 2019 and in February 2020.

The Act on Information Management in Public Administration entered into force on 1 January 2020. The Act includes regulations on, for instance, the arrangement of data management by the authorities, information security and the collection, retention and surrender of data. The Act on the Provision of Digital Services includes regulations on the availability of digital services. Both of the Acts include requirements that must be considered in the procurement of Hansel’s authority customers.

The Act on Legal Proceedings in Administrative Matters (laki oikeudenkäynnistä hallintoasioissa) also entered into force on 1 January 2020. This Act regulates the processing of matters concerning public procurement in the Market Court and Supreme Administrative Court. Hansel hopes that the new Act will speed up the processing of complaints on public procurement despite the fact that it does not amend the previous legislation in any significant manner.