Apart from decentralization, small changes in the statute of civil servants and the local administration law are taken into consideration.
In addition to taking responsibility for the decentralization law, the government also plans to take responsibility for a package of laws on the administration reform that would bring several changes to the statute of civil servants and the local administration law. “We have also discussed taking responsibility for a minimum package of laws, in addition to the decentralization law, by which we would adopt several changes to the law on the statute of civil servants and the local administration law,” Liviu Dragnea, Deputy Prime Minister, stated Monday after presenting the decentralization bill to USL MPs. When asked why the government has decided to amend these laws by taking responsibility, Dragnea replied that it was an opportunity for the Executive to take responsibility for a broader reform package, and the two laws are connected to the decentralization process.
The Deputy Prime Minister explained that the amendment of the law on the statute of public servants will entail introducing the possibility of conducting civil personnel assessments quarterly, instead of annually. “At the moment, civil servants are being assessed annually, meaning the head of an institution can assess each employee’s work and performance once a year. Everyone has requested that this assessment be carried out at least twice a year, quarterly,” Dragnea said. PSD believes ANFP (the National Agency of Civil Servants) is currently handling many tasks. “I do not believe it is natural for ANFP to approve joint vacancy contests for one single job opening. We do not see why it should take this on, why it should take part in these contest committees, why it should approve this,” Dragnea said. He continued by saying the current legal provision enabling civil servants who leave an institution to find work at another institution in a different county will be modified so as to include the respective institution’s approval on the matter.
ANOFM will not be decentralized
After presenting the decentralization project to USL MPs, Liviu Dragnea announced that the Union has decided not to decentralize ANOFM (the National Employment Agency) in order to prevent the emergence of discrepancies in the system, but the possibility of decentralizing ANPS (the Social Payment National Agency) is still being taken into account. “Regarding ANPS, we will (…) discuss the matter with Mrs. Minister Campeanu (e.n. Minister of Labor) and see if we can decentralize the file collection and payment activities and hand them over to the CJ, seeing how mayors do the largest portion of the job through social investigations and formal payment provisions,” Dragnea pointed out.
Harbor lands over to property, equipment over to administration
In addition, Deputy Prime Minister Dragnea said it has been established that the lands where harbors are located will be passed over to the Local Council, and the equipment will be managed by the Council. “What we have agreed upon is that the actual land where harbors are located – now part of state public property – will be passed over to CL, as a rule, an facilities, equipment, and machines that can be found in harbors and are now owned by companies – harbor administration, namely – will be handed over, for the time being (…),” Dragnea said, adding that exceptions to that rule are possible and the issue would be discussed with each county in particular.
UDMR offers support under specific conditions
At the start of yesterday’s meeting with UDMR parliamentary groups, after presenting a summary of the decentralization project, Deputy Prime Minister Liviu Dragnea stated the party might support the project. “The project is almost in its final phase. Decentralization is perhaps the most important part of the administrative reform project. I know UDMR has supported decentralization constantly and for a very long time, the same as I have. Let us hope we will have a common point of view in the end and you could support this decentralization project in the Parliament as well,” Dragnea said. In turn, Laszlo Borbely, the political deputy chairman of UDMR, stated decentralization is perhaps the most important bill draft discussed this year and, ever since 1990, the Union has advocated for decentralization, that is, local autonomy, as a very important part of bringing decisions closer to the citizens. “We will support this decentralization bill based on today’s discussions and future discussions, because we have several pertinent suggestions and we think it is very important for local authorities to have the necessary financing,” Borbely said. Later on yesterday, Dragnea said UDMR and USL support decentralization process, unlike some other institutions’ chiefs who don’t back it up. “For example, there is the chief of a so-called intelligence service from Romania who tells stories according to which I want decentralization done just to cover some mistakes that have been made in the payment of some social security benefits”, Deputy Prime-Minister said, according to Mediafax.
previous post
