Nikola Jovanović, director of the Center for Local Self-Government and former city councilor, revealed that the budget spent by Belgrade on purchasing the first 25 new trams could have bought 10 more trams, according to an analysis by the organization.
Belgrade paid 67.3 million euros for 25 new Bozankaya trams, which equals 2.7 million euros per tram, excluding VAT. Meanwhile, the Romanian city of Timișoara purchased 17 similar trams of the same brand for 33 million euros, or about 1.9 million euros each.
Jovanović explained that if Belgrade had conducted a public procurement process similar to Timișoara’s, it could have acquired 35 trams for the same 67.3 million euros, instead of just 25. He described this difference as corruption that effectively “ate up” 10 trams, calling it a shocking fact.
He also announced that a special team within the Center for Local Self-Government is working on a plan to eradicate corruption, which will be presented soon.
