Attempts are still being made to pass off imported goods, which may have been cheaper or more readily available at some point, as local products; in doing so, the conditions set within the framework of green procurement are being breached and the essence of this procurement is being ignored.

“We have heard of cases where a trader, in order to secure a win in a tender, makes an arrangement with a local producer for the fictitious supply of produce. In reality, the product is only local on paper, while in practice, a cheaper imported product is supplied,” says Elīna Ozola, Head of the Rural Development Department at LLKC.

“Imported products are also sometimes repackaged,” adds project manager Agnese Radžele-Šulce, supplementing her colleague.