Education Ministry announces national school-bus tenders

The Education Ministry has announced three tenders - worth in total zl. 70 million - for 270 school buses, with a closing date of January 10, 2003. The vehicles will be distributed to all gminas around the country, meaning that each local government should receive at least one bus. The order has been divided into three parts in order to prevent total failure of the tender, as each of them will be analyzed separately. Companies willing to take part in the tender will be required to present certificates of compliance with government specifications, which were not previously required by the Ministry. The Sejm is still debating next year's budget bill, which will affect Education Ministry investment plans for 2003. The Ministry should continue equipping schools with computers, having already spent zl. 70 million on equipment and software so far in 2002. The largest order finalized this year was for the purchase of school buses worth zl. 38 million - won by Autosan and Bus Trading. (Puls Biznesu, p. 11) M.M.