The EU-funded SIGMA Project started to assess the public administration in Moldova. In the first half of 2016, the assessors will present a report with recommendations concerning the strategy for reforming the public administration. The EU approved a financial support budget of €50 million for reforming the public administration in Moldova, IPN reports.
Attending the project launch event, Prime Minister Valeriu Strelet said the efficiency of the public administration and the need to reform it have been discussed not only once. The project is launched following the initiation by the Government of the procedures for reforming the public administration by creating the National Public Administration Council, whose task is to work out the reformation strategy for 2016-2020. The reformation of the public administration is provided in the Association Agreement with the EU and this process is overdue, but this reform paves the way for other important reforms.
EU Ambassador in Chisinau Pirkka Tapiola said the people in Moldova must understand that the public administration reform is necessary not for the EU, but for the country. An efficient public administration means corruption fighting and services of a high quality as well as equitable implementation of the law. There was approved a budget of €50 million for supporting the public administration reform in Moldova. The money will be disbursed in the second half of 2016. The EU encourages raising the salaries of public functionaries and could provide budget support for the purpose, but recommends the central authorities to ensure the continuity of the payment of higher salaries from the state budget.
Head of SIGMA Karen Hill said the legal framework of the public administration will be appraised and recommendations will be made for modifying it where necessary. There will also be examined the daily activity of the functionaries to see how the human resources in this field are used. Moldova is the first country covered by the European Neighborhood Policy that asked SIGMA to assess its public administration.
The SIGMA report will be presented in the first half of next year.
