Q:
A:
Number of public servants to be cut by 10 percent
Belgrade,
23 November 2004
Serbian Minister of Finance Mladjan Dinkic said today that the Serbian public administration is too large and needs to be reduced by ten percent next year.
Author:
Tanjug
Speaking at the conference on Serbian public administration reform, he said that the 2005 budget already envisions the funding of 4.8 billion dinars earmarked for severance wages to employees who will be laid off.
The Finance Minister said that the Serbian budget is currently burdened by salaries paid to 221,000 employees in public administration, 45,000 employees in the Serbia-Montenegrin Army and 2,800 employees in the Serbia-Montenegrin public administration while the Health Insurance Fund provide salaries for around 135,000 health workers.
Dinkic said that public administration reform is necessary as there is an overabundance of government workers, many of whom do not meet their obligations. He noted that those who remain working will have increased motivation through a salary increase.
Dinkic said that the present range of coefficients, according to which the Prime Minister has a four times larger salary than those unqualified workers, is inadmissible. He said that the ratio will be 6:1, or 8:1, as of next year.
Minister of Justice Zoran Stojkovic voiced hope that the Serbian parliament will adopt all systemic laws necessary for the reform of public administration by May next year, which will bring it closer to European standards.
Stojkovic said that the most important new aspect of the bill on the Serbian government is that only the minister and the secretary of the ministry will be appointed by political parties, while all other government workers will be professionals whose employment will not depend on the changes and mandates of authorities.
He pointed out that the reform will create a decentralised, depoliticised and highly professional public administration that will gather high quality personnel, attracted by competitive salaries.
Head of the Belgrade Office of the European Agency for Reconstruction Adriano Martins said that the Agency, with the help of the European Investment Bank, will financially support certain public administration reform programmes in Serbia, first and foremost reform of the government's Secretariat.
Martins said that the reform of public administration and its transformation into a modern and efficient service is an important step for Serbia towards European integrations.
The Finance Minister said that the Serbian budget is currently burdened by salaries paid to 221,000 employees in public administration, 45,000 employees in the Serbia-Montenegrin Army and 2,800 employees in the Serbia-Montenegrin public administration while the Health Insurance Fund provide salaries for around 135,000 health workers.
Dinkic said that public administration reform is necessary as there is an overabundance of government workers, many of whom do not meet their obligations. He noted that those who remain working will have increased motivation through a salary increase.
Dinkic said that the present range of coefficients, according to which the Prime Minister has a four times larger salary than those unqualified workers, is inadmissible. He said that the ratio will be 6:1, or 8:1, as of next year.
Minister of Justice Zoran Stojkovic voiced hope that the Serbian parliament will adopt all systemic laws necessary for the reform of public administration by May next year, which will bring it closer to European standards.
Stojkovic said that the most important new aspect of the bill on the Serbian government is that only the minister and the secretary of the ministry will be appointed by political parties, while all other government workers will be professionals whose employment will not depend on the changes and mandates of authorities.
He pointed out that the reform will create a decentralised, depoliticised and highly professional public administration that will gather high quality personnel, attracted by competitive salaries.
Head of the Belgrade Office of the European Agency for Reconstruction Adriano Martins said that the Agency, with the help of the European Investment Bank, will financially support certain public administration reform programmes in Serbia, first and foremost reform of the government's Secretariat.
Martins said that the reform of public administration and its transformation into a modern and efficient service is an important step for Serbia towards European integrations.
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