Montenegro will carry out public administration reform, but it will have to choose the best model for its optimization. The Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Montenegro cannot comment on the details of communication with the local authorities on this issue.
This was officially told to "Vijesti" by the EU Delegation.
Prime Minister Milojko Spajic In an interview with Radio Television of Montenegro earlier this month, he said that they plan to lay off 20 percent of public administration workers, and that they have already sent a proposal for a solution to the European Commission (EC) twice - which was rejected. He stressed that it is a lie that party recruitment has continued, and that the total number of employees in the state administration has decreased by 150 from November 2023 to the same month last year.
The number of employees in public administration at the state and local levels at the end of 2023 amounted to 62,5 thousand and is 14,4 thousand higher than the required number from the optimization plan that was to be implemented in 2020.
"We will take stock of the situation regarding temporary contracts, we will reduce the number of temporary contracts by 20 percent by the end of the year. We will freeze new hiring and we will also reduce the number of permanent employees by over 20 percent. It is very difficult, following the European course, to lay off 20 percent of workers from the central administration, we have sent the solution that we proposed to the EC twice. The EC rejected that solution both times, unfortunately... We will find a way to lay off 20 hundred people because we believe that the number of employees in the state administration is too high, that many people do not work, do not show up for work, and work inadequately. This does not speak of politicization or any other principle, this tells you that we have a state administration that does not fully meet the needs of either the economy or citizens," Spajić emphasized and announced a freeze on employment in all sectors of the central government.
"Vijesti" is still waiting for answers from Spajić's Cabinet on how and how many workers they will lay off, whether the data that 3.000 more workers have been employed in the public administration in the last four years is accurate, and how they will reduce the number of temporary contracts.
Similar inquiries were forwarded to the EU Delegation, namely questions about when the Government sent them optimization proposals, whether it is true that they rejected them, and if so, why and how this issue should ultimately be resolved...
"Optimization of public administration is one of the main goals of the public administration reform of Montenegro. While we cannot comment on the details of our communication with the Montenegrin authorities, it is up to Montenegro to decide on the most appropriate optimization model, in accordance with the principles of good governance, while ensuring adequate administrative capacity in key reform areas," the Delegation said.
Spajić's claims about reducing the number of employees contradict those made by the Minister of Public Administration. Marash Dukaj on the show "Načisto" last week, when he said that Montenegro went too far and that three thousand more workers have been employed in public administration since 2021. He also confirmed that they do not have data on how many new workers have been employed in institutions that are not directly funded by the state, while in those that receive more than 50 percent of the money from the state treasury, more than 47.000 employees work at the central level, and more than 7.000 at the local level.
Dukaj said that party recruitment is one of the biggest problems in society and that this practice must be stopped - because Montenegro has crossed all limits.
"At the moment, we have 47.284 at the central level, 7.092 at the local level. This number includes all institutions that are financed by more than 50 percent from the budget. We have more than 3.000 more employees, compared to 2021, when we had the analysis. It should be noted that the EU average is 15 percent, and the maximum is 20 percent of the total number of a country, we have exceeded that percentage. Optimization should go hand in hand with rationalization. As a Ministry and the Government, we have started concrete steps," said Dukaj.
The number of employees in public administration at the state and local levels at the end of 2023 was 62,5 thousand, which is seven thousand more than at the end of 2020. The total number of employees at both levels was 14,4 thousand higher than the required number from the optimization plan that was supposed to be implemented in 2020. None of the three governments that followed this year dealt with optimization, but instead increased the number of employees.
They are also planning fewer work contracts.
In early February, the government also formed a Commission for the Analysis and Monitoring of Service Contracts Paid from the State Treasury, with the ultimate goal of reducing their number by 20 percent by the end of this year.
The commission was formed as the first measure, which, along with all the following, will serve to reduce the spending of money from the state treasury and optimize public administration.
"The tasks of the Commission are: analyzing concluded and determining the need to conclude new contracts of this type in consumer units financed from the state budget, controlling the compliance of concluded contracts with regulations, as well as assessing the compliance of fees based on concluded contracts with the financial resources allocated for this form of work engagement," the Government statement states.
The President of the Commission is the Head of the Prime Minister's Office. Branko Krvavac on whose initiative it was formed, while its members are Dukaj, Minister of Finance Novica Vuković, Minister of Justice Bojan Božović, Advisor to the Prime Minister for Economic Policy Milena Milović, while the secretary is Spajić's advisor Jelena Martinović.
The number of employees in public administration at the state and local levels at the end of 2023 amounted to 62,5 thousand and is 14,4 thousand higher than the required number from the optimization plan that was to be implemented in 2020.
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