Serbia: Games around Chinese and smart meters projects

Published on 29. December 2014., News Serbia Energy

Electric Power Industry of Serbia has announced the tender for the purchase of smart electric meters on terms that cannot fulfill any domestic manufacturer, claim from local association of smart meters producers.

Since the complete job of introducing smart meters and associated infrastructure is worth about 350 MEUR, in advance there is a great interest of domestic and foreign manufacturers. However, power utility EPS compiled tender which rigorous requirements does not meet even the most serious players in the world, but only a few major claim from daily papers Kurir and Blic which named this project as scandalous.

This group, also includes the Chinese “Huawei”, represented by none other than Goran Djokovic, previously known for its connections with EPS claim in daily papers.

Aleksandar Obradovic, director of EPS informed precisely him three days ago in SMS that asked for postponement of the signing of the loan agreement for the “Kostolac” from the Chinese ambassador.
Also, Djokovic was involved in the signing of a cooperation protocol of EPS and the Chinese company “China environmental Energy Holdings” three years ago.

– “Huawei” is an infrastructure producer world famous, while one smart meter in China costs about three EUR and it is not a problem to offer them extremely cheap here, for five euros. It is amazing that EPS announces tender under conditions that domestic producers do not meet even when they join. Besides, everything is financed by the EBRD loan for which the state gives guarantee – told one of the manufacturers for “Blic”.

. Our companies together have 20 MEUR of annual turnover, which is considerably less than the 75 MEUR how much is required in the tender.
– If the conditions had remained the same as in the previous tender in 2011th, we could have competed and open 1,500 new jobs – says Jovan Vujasinovic from the group of equipment manufacturer for measuring electricity in the Serbian Chamber of Commerce.

According to Blic daily, Aleksandar Obradovic ahead of the summit eve in Belgrade ordered to the Department for investment in EPS to defame in the report the work of the Chinese “CMEK” on TPP “Kostolac” in the first stage.
– The intention was to write a letter to the Government in which it will stand that “CMEK” is not eligible for the second phase on the “Kostolac”, worth 608 MEUR- claimed in Blic.