On Tuesday, the 19th of March, 2024, the Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants published a notice of public procurement for the purchase of 50,000 pairs of sports shoes for illegal migrants, 200 pairs of rain boots, and 100 pairs of school slippers, and at the same time secured a contingency reserve for goods in the amount of 12,200 euros. If we consider the price of 20 euros for one pair of sports shoes, we are talking about an order worth around one million euros.
The Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants did not state the estimated value of the entire order and they are collecting bids until the 23rd of April, 2024, but it is clear that all of this will be paid for by taxpayers through the taxes we pay into the state budget – and if there is not enough money for that in the budget, then Golob’s coalition, consisting of the Freedom Movement party (Gibanje Svoboda), the Social Democrats (Socialni Demokrati – SD) and the Left party (Levica) will simply raise our taxes even further to cover the costs.
The order specification shows that they plan to buy 50 thousand pairs of sports shoes, of which 40 thousand are for adults and 10 thousand are for children’s footwear. It is clear from the published contract sample that the quantity is very flexible, it is supposed to be for a period of 24 months, but several statements in the sample indicate the expectation that the time frame will be shorter, and the quantity of purchased goods will also be larger.
Public procurement in the last five days
Data on the e-procurement web portal for the Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants show that between the 13th and the 19th of March, 2024, the office in question announced four public procurement notices, of which as many as three were for the newly created situation, i.e. for the rental of containers and the purchase of beds and mattresses (the 13th of March, 2024), as well as for electrical installations and construction works (the 14th of March, 2024), and now for the purchase and supply of footwear (the 19th of March, 2024).
All of this confirms the statement recently made by the office of Prime Minister Robert Golob that they will not withdraw the government’s decision that was made on the 29th of February 2024, when they decided – without cooperation with the locals – that an establishment of two new branches of the asylum centre will happen soon (in Obrežje and Središče ob Dravi). There may soon be many more such asylum homes in Slovenia. The current authorities have over 20 locations in mind.
It is also important to note that this is no longer just about the “crazy” Prime Minister, as many already call him, it is about the entire coalition and also the President of the Republic, Nataša Pirc Musar, who are responsible for everything that is currently happening. Pirc Musar promised upon her “election” that she “will not be silent”. Now, when the citizens need her the most, she is silent as ever.
Moja Dolenjska
