The Ministry of Finance announces that by the end of June, it will submit to the Government a Proposal for Amendments to the Law on Salaries in the Public Sector, which could also change the conditions for receiving official benefits, upon termination of office.
The ruling Europe Now Movement (PES) is demanding a one-year reduction in the amount of compensation, and almost two and a half million euros were paid for compensation to former officials last year and this year alone.
Last year, the replacements and resignations of officials, who continued to receive compensation, cost citizens over one million and 860 thousand euros (1.861.059,34 euros net). With the arrival of the new government, about 400 thousand (399.959,71 euros) were paid for November and December, and in those months 123 and 133 former officials received compensation. That number increased in the first three months of this year, and over 680 euros (681.189,23 euros net) were paid to them from the budget, 200 more than in the same period last year. (477.325,85 euros for the first three months of 2023).
"Given that this is a trend that continues, changes of people in management positions, then we should expect that in these months there will be that intense figure for former officials for inactivity," said Ines Medović from the Action for Social Justice (ASP).
Mrdović says that all allocations for fees are higher, because not everything is paid through the Ministry of Finance.
"So realistically, it is a much higher figure, but in order to reach it, it is probably necessary for other authorities to announce it," she said.
The Ministry of Finance announces that the conditions for receiving officials' compensation could be changed through amendments to the Law on Salaries of Employees in the Public Sector.
"By the end of the second quarter of 2024, it should be submitted to the Government for consideration. Considering that the preparation of the draft of the law in question is ongoing, at this moment it is not possible to talk about the solutions that will refer to the rights upon termination of office,'' the Ministry of Finance said in a statement.
The ruling PES is already saying that they will vote for changes related to fees, reminding that they recently made a proposal.
"Where the conditions for acquiring the right would be tightened, the time period for exercising that right would be shortened. This was submitted to the line ministry. The club of PES deputies will wholeheartedly support any proposal that leads to the tightening of the conditions for acquiring that right," said Darko Dragović, a PES deputy.
Mrdović, on the other hand, says that all this can be done faster, if there is political will.
"Deputies are the ones who, through just a few legal norms, can change the whole thing and regulate this issue, without waiting for the Government. So, let them finally move from words to deeds and show the citizens that they are really ready to cancel one of the truly outrageous benefits," said Mrdović.
Officials' fees have been "eating up" the state coffers for years, from which millions were paid for them.
Former officials, regardless of whether they worked for a day, a month or a year before dismissal, have the legal right to receive compensation for the year in the amount of the last salary received. And in this matter, we are leading the way.
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