Thanks to the established hierarchy of power and executive discipline, the public administration system functions clearly and harmoniously even in the most challenging situations.
Thanks to the established hierarchy of power and executive discipline, the public administration system functions clearly and harmoniously even in the most challenging situations. This was stated by the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, today at a meeting on improving legislation on public service, as reported by a BELTA correspondent.
Alexander Lukashenko noted that public service is a crucial social institution, and the successful development of the country, as well as the improvement of the quality of life and living standards of citizens, directly depend on its effectiveness.
"Over the past quarter-century since gaining independence, we have managed to build a streamlined hierarchy of power, form a compact state apparatus, and ensure the necessary executive discipline. As a result, even in the most challenging situations, the public administration system functions clearly and harmoniously. The best confirmation of this is the consolidation of civil servants and their work in the conditions of last year. It was, after all, a litmus test," the President stated.
According to him, at the current stage, it is not about a radical overhaul of the old system or reforming public service; the main task is to give impetus to its further development. "I believe that the most important aspect in this regard is personnel. We need to attract not just qualified and goal-oriented specialists to the state apparatus who can promptly solve important tasks. We need truly state-minded individuals. If we have the right personnel, then the system will work. When entering public service, a person must understand that their main duty is to serve the country and the Belarusian people," emphasized Alexander Lukashenko.
Therefore, the moral and ethical image of a civil servant, their behaviour both at work and in everyday life, is of particular importance, noted the Head of State. He proposed introducing distinguishing marks for civil servants in the new law, similar to those of a deputy. "We need to clearly provide in the law that every civil servant should stand out in society, in everyday life. For example, a badge with the state flag," the President suggested. "If you are a civil servant, you should outwardly stand out in society so that people can approach you for help, advice, support, and simply to talk to you. They will run to reception rooms less often and write fewer letters. And secondly, it is a test for any civil servant: they must be proud of being a civil servant. Otherwise, they should not be a civil servant."
At the same time, Alexander Lukashenko drew attention to the fact that ensuring a high status and prestige of the profession is impossible without consolidating socio-legal guarantees. However, these guarantees must be strictly correlated with the duties and responsibilities of each employee, the President added. "And there should be no overreach here: if you are a civil servant, it doesn't mean you should spread your fingers, like some individual entrepreneurs, IT specialists and other supporters of the oligarchy we have. They should simply be modest, decent people in terms of material provision. A civil servant does not mean a salary ten times higher. But everything should be decent," the Belarusian leader emphasised. "So that there is no contrast like in Soviet times under Gorbachev: the salaries of regional committee secretaries, regional executive committee secretaries and others were doubled, and this immediately provoked aggression from the people, because the people lived hard. That is, the connection with the people should be here."
On the other hand, the Head of State noted, civil servants should not be destitute either. "Then, perhaps, there will be less corruption. Although I am not one to believe that if someone is given a high salary, they will completely stop taking bribes. There are always not enough funds. But they will think: 'If I take a bribe, I will not only be fired, but also imprisoned. But here, after all, there is a decent salary and service.' Therefore, these issues must be clearly defined and designated," he added.
Alexander Lukashenko stated: the status of a civil servant will be elevated, but the requirements will be commensurate. The Head of State spoke about this at the All-Belarusian People's Assembly. As a negative example of executive discipline, the President cited the work on re-registering non-governmental organizations. "More than a month has passed – I don't see any reaction from the Presidential Administration and those present. Are you waiting for a new wave? Political scientists, our supporters (deputies and others) are already pointing fingers, demanding: 'Cleanse society, we see what has been happening.' And what are we waiting for? You know that these structures are used to finance these bandits within the country," the Head of State declared.
The draft of the new law "On Civil Service" is aimed at resolving the tasks outlined by the President. Work on it has been underway for several years. In December last year, deputies adopted the bill in the first reading. "Before its consideration in the second reading, we agreed to discuss the key provisions of this document once again, along with the draft decrees prepared to develop it. We need to be absolutely confident in the correctness of the directions set for the development of civil service," said Alexander Lukashenko.
He inquired how the new law would meet the current and future requirements of the state and society, what approaches are envisaged to achieve a balance of discipline and responsibility of civil servants and to enhance the prestige of public service. "I will reiterate my requirements: the rights and obligations of civil servants, their code of conduct should be akin to military regulations, and perhaps, in some respects, even higher. However, it is imperative not to overstep the mark," the Belarusian leader stated.
As reported at the meeting by the Head of the Presidential Administration Igor Sergeenko, the current law on civil service was adopted in 2003. "Considering how the world has changed, and the challenges that time poses to the state, we see that the issue of improving public service is more relevant than ever," he said. "The events of last year have shown that the established system of public administration is effective and strong. But no less significant are the growing threats and risks in recent years, which require the adoption of appropriate measures to protect our statehood and sovereignty."
Igor Sergeenko recalled that three years ago, by the instruction of the Head of State, a working group was established, and subsequently, discussions on the new version of the law on public service and the draft decrees developed to support it were repeatedly held on the platforms of the Council of the Republic, the Presidential Administration, and the Academy of Management. "The legislative novelties are aimed at increasing the effectiveness of public authorities, the prestige of public service, and, importantly, the quality of selection of public servants," emphasized the Head of the Presidential Administration. According to him, one of the constant fundamental requirements for the system remains that only professionals devoted to their country should work in it.
The draft law on public service was prepared by the instruction of the President, given back in July 2018. The bill was developed by an interdepartmental working group, which included representatives of public authorities, as well as scientists and experts who are not public servants.
The draft law establishes an integrated system of public service, consisting of civil public service, military service, and service in paramilitary organizations. According to the developers, this will help eliminate contradictions in legal regulation and lay the foundation for convergence and the development of unified approaches in regulating various types of public service.
The document provides for common norms for all public servants, defining the principles of public service and concepts. A register of civil public positions is introduced, and the existing system of public servant classes is improved. The register will allow for the differentiation of civil positions and corresponding remuneration based on the level of the public authority, the powers vested in the civil servant, the level of qualification, and the length of civil service. For these purposes, a draft decree on civil public positions has been prepared.
It is also envisaged to strengthen the discipline and responsibility of civil servants in order to bring their legal status closer to that of military personnel. In particular, the concept of service discipline of civil servants and methods of ensuring it are defined by analogy with the requirements of military regulations and regulations of paramilitary organizations, and general requirements for the ethical behavior of civil servants are established by analogy with the provisions of current disciplinary regulations, extending their effect to both official conduct and behavior in everyday life. For these purposes, general requirements for the service ethics of state civil servants have been developed as an appendix to the law. Non-compliance with the requirements of service ethics will entail the application of disciplinary measures to the civil servant.