The legal framework is currently in place for a comprehensive overhaul of the public system, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Tuesday when asked about the announced public sector apparatus downsizing moves.

„I created a legal framework, at this moment we are done with the ministries, we are moving to companies. Things are pyramidal. I cannot come and slash the people’s jobs, even if I am the prime minister. However, the legal framework is currently in place for a complete overhaul of the public system, as per the NRRP requirement. Romania needs a reform of the public sector, for each worker in the public system Romania needs targets, because that is what the OECD requires of us. (…) This doesn’t mean that a government or a prime minister has the ability to slash 10 or 20 percent of the jobs by a stroke of the pen. When the law was issued, we had 200,000 vacant positions,” Ciolacu said.

„The moment we passed the law, the 200,000 disappeared. Exceptions were made in education – which accounts for one third of the public system, and for health care. And I’m glad we did this. As for the rest, you’ll see that everything will be slimmed down,” Ciolacu added as he left the Business Forum organized on Tuesday at the Palace of Parliament on the occasion of the meeting of the Partnership for Transatlantic Energy and Climate Cooperation.

AGERPRES