Kherson District Awards ₴68.9M Road Maintenance Contract to Paritetbudinvest Amid Controversy

The contract for road maintenance in Kherson district was awarded to a firm with political connections. The tender was announced twice after the first attempt was canceled due to miscalculations. The lowest bid was submitted by Paritetbudinvest, a company with ties to Odesa city authorities.

This was reported by the Center for Public Investigations.

On March 24, the state institution "Local Roads of Kherson Region" announced a tender for the operational maintenance of public roads of local importance in Kherson district. The expected cost of the work was UAH 68.9 million. According to the terms, the contractor had to perform a range of works to ensure safe and uninterrupted traffic.

The auction was scheduled to be held on April 7, but on April 1, the customer announced the cancellation of the procedure due to errors in the calculation of the expected cost of the work. On April 7, the tender reappeared on Prozorro, with corrected terms and conditions.

The auction took place on April 16 and was attended by three companies - Rostdorstroy, Global Build Engineering and Paritetbudinvest Construction Company - and is currently awaiting a decision. Additionally, the company had to eliminate a number of inconsistencies in its tender proposal by April 22. The company offered UAH 57,758 less than the expected purchase price.

Screenshot: Prozorro

The firm has been featured in journalistic investigations, as well as in criminal proceedings in 2022 under articles on misappropriation or embezzlement of property through abuse of office.

TheCenter for Public Investigations also linked the company to members of the Odesa City Council, including Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov.

This is not the first time that Paritetbudinvest Construction Company has been awarded large government contracts. According to the Youcontrol analytical system, the company has won tenders for more than UAH 1.4 billion. Its customers have included both utility companies and departments, as well as village councils, infrastructure restoration services in Odesa region, and the Local Roads of Kherson region institution itself.

Screenshot: YouControl

Recently, a 38-million-hryvnia contract for the construction of a security center in the village of Posad Pokrovske in Kherson region was also won by this company, which offered 27 thousand less than the planned amount.

The company also participates in bidding in Odesa. The Odesa City Council's Road Maintenance Department may sign a contract with the company for UAH 12.6 million for the current repair of the city's street and road network.

Also in early April, the City Roads municipal enterprise held two auctions to select contractors for road maintenance in the Kyiv district of Odesa. The winner was Paritetbudinvest Construction Firm LLC, which offered UAH 6.5 million. If the agreement is signed, the company will have to maintain the district's roads until July 31, 2025.

Анна Бальчінос