The status of the posts of secretary general of the Government, secretary of state and head of the local office of the State Chancellery was changed from public posts into public dignity posts. There was instituted the post of secretary general of the ministry that will substitute the post of secretary general of state. The MPs on July 5 adopted a bill to this effect after giving it a final reading, IPN reports.

The secretaries of state will assist the ministry’s administration in the executive work. These will be appointed and dismissed by the Government at the suggestion of ministers and the number of secretaries of state at a ministry will depend on the areas of activity entrusted to the ministry.

The ministry’s secretary general will have the status of executive public functionary of upper level who is named to the post according to professionalism-related criteria, in accordance with the law on the public post and the status of public functionary. This will ensure functional ties between the ministry’s administration and the corps of public functionaries and also between the internal subdivisions of the ministry’s central staff.

After being given a second reading, the bill was passed by 59 votes in favor. The new regulations will take effect when they are published in the Official Gazette.