Government cuts number of employees in inspection bodies

The number of personnel in inspecting institutions of the central public administration will be reduced by 1 percent. The Government made such a decision on October 24. The decision applies to the personnel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Centre for Combating Corruption and Economic Crimes, the Construction Inspectorate, the Standardisation and Metrology Service, the Tax Inspectorate, the Ecology Inspectorate, and others. The General Prosecutor’s Office and the Audit Office, which are not subordinated to the Government, were recommended to consider the possibility of reducing the number of their employees also by 1 percent. Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev said that the Government set as objective to regulate the inspection of the economic entities in 2001. Afterwards, it adopted a decision under which only the Tax Inspectorate could check the financial activity of the economic entities, at most once in two years. The investigation of the economic entities is an exception. According to the Premier, there are cases when the persons empowered to carry out inspections commit abuses. “It is a first step. If we see efficiency, we will stop. If not, we will go on,” Vasile Tarlev said, making it clear that the Government is resolute to intervene in regulating the activity of the inspection bodies. The Government approved the 10 percent layoff in inspection bodies on the request of the head of state. At a meeting called by the President on October 24, Vladimir Voronin expressed his dissatisfaction with the large number of personnel in inspection institutions, who carry out multiple exaggerated checks.