The state apparatus in Belarus will be significantly reduced once again

August 11, Minsk /Tatyana Polozhay - BELTA/. President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko believes that the state apparatus can be halved in the country and executive discipline can be significantly improved. The head of state announced this today while making personnel decisions, according to a BELTA correspondent.

"In the near future, we will once again approach a significant reduction in civil servants. Not because they are bad, but because we need to improve executive discipline," said the head of state. "It often happens with us: a manager makes a decision, and then ten of his subordinate officials go to control its execution and write reports to the boss on how it is being executed. This is a bad practice! Executive discipline must be raised to such a level that no one travels, and if they control, they just call and ask: did you do it or not. If you didn't do it - goodbye. In this way, we can halve the state apparatus by raising executive discipline and removing functions from the state apparatus that are not inherent to it and are simply harmful."

The President noted that this option is being piloted at the Minsk Regional Executive Committee, not by imposing tasks from above, but by awaiting proposals from the executive committee.

Alexander Lukashenko stated that civil servants currently have meagre salaries. "But I cannot raise the salaries of civil servants if we do not make a move in return, a move only in reducing the state apparatus," said the President.

"The status and level of civil servants must be raised immensely, so that they are truly state employees, so that they are officials who make decisions, and everyone falls into line, into formation, carrying out, executing these decisions. All other saved money, plus some additional funds, will provide a decent salary for civil servants, and we will solve this problem," emphasized the head of state.

At the same time, Alexander Lukashenko pointed out that the dismissed officials should be employed in the economy, including in managerial positions.

"The greatest danger lies within our economy. If there are any dangers, they are solely within the economy. If our enterprises are functioning, and we achieve harvests like this year's, and we work cohesively as we do, nothing will be formidable to us. No one will come with tanks, capture us, kill us, crush us, or trample us. We will withstand any storm. Everything depends solely on us. But under one condition, which I also often mention: offences by public servants are unacceptable, so that they are absolutely beyond suspicion," the President emphasized.

Alexander Lukashenko noted that a draft law on combating corruption will be published in the near future, and the head of state expects proposals on it. Furthermore, it is planned to revisit the decree on strengthening the responsibility of managerial staff, and thus, according to the President, a definitive point will be put to the practice of moving from one position to another. "You arrive, work honestly and conscientiously – you receive everything you deserve. Guilty – well, you are not working, you are working poorly – go and work in your specialty, but you will no longer be a manager, and no one will place you anywhere else," the head of state remarked.

"When we bring personnel to their senses and optimize our state apparatus, the people will never tell us that we earn too much money," Alexander Lukashenko concluded. -0-

News of Belarus (BELTA)