Events

MINSK, 11 August (BelTA) – Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko believes that the number of civil servants can be further reduced twofold and the discipline can be dramatically improved. The head of state said it as he made personnel decisions on 11 August, BelTA has learnt.

“In the nearest future we will cut down on the number of civil servants again. It is not because they are bad, but because we need to toughen discipline. We often have situations when a senior official makes a decision and a dozen of his subordinates are off to supervise the implementation of this decision and to write progress reports on how the decision is fulfilled. It is a flawed practice. We need to improve discipline dramatically, so that no one will go anywhere, because they will be able to supervise the fulfillment of a decision just by making a phone call. If someone fails to fulfill a decision, he should be gone. This way we will be able to halve the number of civil servants, to toughen performance discipline and to relieve the government staff from unrelated or even detrimental functions,” the head of state said.

The President noted that the Minsk Oblast Executive Committee is now trying to implement this idea.

Alexander Lukashenko noted that at present civil servants receive a meager salary. “However, I will not be able to increase the salary of civil servants if we do not reduce the government staff,” the President said.

“We need to dramatically enhance the status, the prestige of civil servants, so that this would be a position worth the name, so that these officials would be able to make decisions that are implemented unquestionably. The money that we will save and some extra funds will be used to increase the salaries of civil servants. This way we will resolve the issue,” the head of state said.

Alexander Lukashenko drew attention to the fact that the officials that will be made redundant should be employed in the economic sector, including in executive positions.

“The biggest challenges come from the economy. In fact, the economy is the only source of possible challenges and threats. If domestic companies operate steadily, if we have the same harvest as this year, and if we keep working passionately, we will handle anything. No one will come here on tanks, no one will occupy, kill, suppress and subdue us. We will weather through any turmoil. Everything depends on us. However, there is one thing I often tell you about: wrongdoing on the part of civil servants will not be tolerated; civil servants should be role models,” the President said.

Alexander Lukashenko noted that an anti-corruption draft law will be published soon. The head of state expects suggestions and proposals on this draft law. There are plans to resume focus on the decree on toughening punishment for senior officials. This will finally prevent corrupt officials from being employed into a managerial position again. “If you work conscientiously, you will be rewarded. If you do not work properly, you will never be able to hold a managerial post again,” the head of state said.

“When we settle personnel issues and optimize the government staff, people will never tell us that we earn too much,” Alexander Lukashenko said.