Senate President Mircea Abrudean said on Monday that the reform of the public administration is not a topic that can be buried, noting that postponing a decision on this matter would send 'a bad signal.'
"As I understand from the prime minister, who spoke publicly on this subject, a conclusion will be reached this week, and I believe it will be a constructive one namely, that the administrative reform will go forward. It is a topic that cannot be buried. It is highly anticipated and must ultimately be advanced, in Parliament as well, since a bill of assumption of responsibility will be introduced," Abrudean said when asked about reports suggesting that the Social Democrats believe the reform will not be completed anytime soon due to a lack of consensus within the coalition.
The Senate president highlighted the deeply negative signal that any delay in implementing this reform would send.
"We'll see which formula is adopted: the one initially proposed by Mr. [Prime Miniter] Bolojan, involving a 10% cut in filled positions, or a mix between that proposal and the alternative of reducing personnel-related spending by a certain percentage. Whatever the formula, it needs to move forward because if it's postponed, it sends a very bad signal," he said.
Regarding the fact that the budget revision showed a 10% increase in salary expenditures despite efforts to reduce them, Abrudean said the Senate could serve as a model.
"Speaking from my position as president of the Senate we made some internal adjustments, a reform that was criticized at the time but produced solid results, leading to a 10-million-lei reduction in salary expenses after the budget revision. That's what the Senate did. What others did, I cannot comment," Abrudean added.
Asked whether ministers should have already presented their restructuring and spending-cut plans, the Senate president replied: "I believe these plans have been discussed. I did not take part in those talks you should ask the ministers directly."
"I can tell you what we did. It's a model of good practice that I think should be applied elsewhere as well. The results are clear: the institution operates with fewer people, we saved 10 million lei in salary costs, and that's what ultimately matters the results, as is also the case with the Chancellery," Abrudean further stated.
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