LOGISTICS NOTE THEME: PROCUREMENT INNOVATION AND STRATEGY ATHÉNÉE PALACE HILTON 1-3 EPISCOPIEI STREET, BUCHAREST, ROMANIA TABLE OF CONTENTS Contents Objectives ....................................................................................................................... 3 Results............................................................................................................................. 3 Host, Participants and Agenda ...................................................................................... 3 Presentations and Discussions ...................................................................................... 3 Venue and Duration ....................................................................................................... 4 Forum Conclusions and Follow Up................................................................................ 4 Forum Coordination Team ............................................................................................. 4 Tickets for Country Delegates ....................................................................................... 4 Transportation and Visa Fees ........................................................................................ 4 Taxi .............................................................................................................................. 4 Free-lance driver......................................................................................................... 5 Accommodation ............................................................................................................. 5 Hotel address.............................................................................................................. 6 Lunch, Coffee Break and Dinner.................................................................................... 6 Payment of Per Diem, Taxi and Visa related Costs to Delegates ................................ 6 Translation Services ....................................................................................................... 6 Currency .......................................................................................................................... 6 Weather .......................................................................................................................... 6 Brief Information about Bucharest ............................................................................... 7 Places to visit in Bucharest: Please visit https://www.viator.com/Bucharest/d22134 8 Main contacts for all PRIMO related matters:.............................................................. 8 2 Objectives The 2018 marks the 14th year for this Forum. The main event objectives are i) to provide an opportunity for public procurement agencies of participating countries to learn and share their experiences and practices in public procurement reforms, with a special focus on innovation in public procurement and preparation of procurement strategy; and ii) to promote and foster regional and global cooperation and networking in public procurement, and good governance to further improve service delivery to the citizens through efficient procurement implementation. This year, theme of the Forum is “Procurement Innovation and Strategy”. Results At the end of the Forum, each country will present procurement related actions that are to be monitored throughout the year. This is the main output of the Forum. Learning from their peers, each team formulates an action plan, upload it on the shared website monitored by the Governments, IFI’s and other procurement experts. Host, Participants and Agenda The 14th PRIMO forum will be hosted this year by the National Agency for Public Procurement (ANAP) of Romania. The Forum will be held in Bucharest, Romania during the period of May 8- 10, 2018. It will be co-sponsored by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the World Bank and in cooperation with European Investment Bank (EIB), SIGMA, OECD, and UNICTRAL. The Forum is expected to be attended by around 100 people. These include about 50 high level government officials responsible for public procurement in 24 countries (Albania, Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, FYR Macedonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyz, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Bulgaria) and representatives from the ADB, IsDB, EBRD, EU, SIGMA, EIB, OECD, WTO, UNCITRAL, WB and others. Presentations and Discussions Speakers and participants from all participating countries and the representatives of the development partners will make presentations on their country experiences on the forum theme “Procurement Invocation and Strategy” that will be useful for other countries. Special speakers from the USA and the Netherlands will also participate. 3 Venue and Duration The Forum will be held at the Bucharest Athénée Palace Hilton Hotel, Romania, during the May 8 thru 10, 2018. Forum Conclusions and Follow Up On the third day of the Forum, the Country Delegates will discuss and propose actions that they plan to work on during the next year with focus on this year’s Forum theme of the forum in their respective country as well as other procurement reforms of their choice. They will also report on their achievements of the last year action plan. Forum Coordination Team The Forum is coordinated by a team lead from the government side by Mr. Bogdan Puşcaş, President of ANAP and from the co-sponsors (WB, EBRD, ADB and IsDB) by Majed M. El-Bayya, Lead Procurement Specialist, World Bank. All staff in the World Bank field offices in ECA region will take a role in the coordination with the Government counterparts. Each of the cosponsoring donors assigned a focal point for coordination with the World Bank forum coordinator. Tickets for Country Delegates The air tickets for Country Delegates will be arranged with the assistance of the World Bank country office staff in each participating country. Country delegates are requested to make sure that their travel request has been prepared and approved by their World Bank contact person. The permissible class for travel is “economy”. An approved trip request will also help in processing the reimbursement requests, if any. Transportation and Visa Fees Participants are responsible for obtaining Visas and make their own arrangements for transportation from/to airports in their home country and in Bucharest. Please keep receipts to claim reimbursement through the relevant World Bank Country Office. Taxi The airport has an effective system of calling a taxi. From the “Taxi by request” helpdesk you can make an online order or call, it is very simple and safe. You can choose any of the companies listed there. Once booked, you will see on the receipt both company's name and identification number of the taxi. Airport staff can offer guidance and will allow access to the cab. Ordering taxi at the Otopeni/Henri Coanda airport: The taxi station is at the exit of the terminal, on the ground floor. http://www.bucharestairports.ro/otp/index.php?cat=16&article=55 Charges: 1, 39 lei/km – 3, 50 lei/km 4 • Maximum Price for distance - 3.5 lei / km; • Maximum Price for starting - 3.5 lei; • Maximum Price for standing - 35 lei / hour. • Taxi trip to city center takes around 25 minutes. • Taxi access in public parking is prohibited by law. Attention! Do not let you accost by “pirates” taxi drivers! Accosting customers, both by taxi drivers and by intermediaries, is sanctioned by taxi law (Law 168/2010 on the approval of the Government Emergency Ordinance 34/2010). The implementation of the sanctions, in the airport’s area, is made by Transport Police. Telephone of the National Authority for Consumer’s Protection: +4021 9551 Free-lance driver The freelance driver whom we usually hire for airport pick-ups, (Aurel Tudorache, tel: +4 0722 257 953) will be waiting for you at the airport, in the arrivals area, with a name sign. Email to book your transfer in advance: [email protected]. The cost of the transfer from the airport is 25 EUR, or 35 USD, which is to be paid to the driver (he will give you a receipt). Uber is a good option as well. Hotel transfer: Travelers with hotel bookings can arrange for a car from the hotel where they are booked to be sent to collect them. Gama Proconsult Travel agency: The cost of the transfer from the airport is EUR16/ USD17. To book, Email to: [email protected]/Cc to: [email protected], Mobile: +40 744 755 774 - Serban Pall Accommodation The Athénée Palace Hilton Hotel is the place for accommodation and venue for the 14th Procurement, Integrity, Management and Openness (PRIMO) Forum. Hotel bookings for all confirmed country delegates are arranged. The room rate includes access to Full Buffett Breakfast in Roberto’s Restaurant, internet connection, access to the Health Club, and will be paid by the sponsors for the country delegates (maximum two participants from each country). A spouse or additional person in the room will cause an extra charge of RON 30 /room/night + taxes, per a standard room, to be paid from own funds of the participant. Standard check-in time is 17:00 and check-out time is noon. All extras (phone, room service etc.) will be paid by the participants out of own funds during the check-out. Early check-in option will be arranged with the Hotel for some participants