Victoria Belous
According to her, cutting costs on qualified personnel could ultimately cost the state more. “I don’t think it’s fair to compare government agencies today with what they were like ten years ago. Yes, the government must constantly seek opportunities to improve efficiency. The Prime Minister has instructed us to review procedures and eliminate inefficient processes. But at the same time, the state has to perform new functions, particularly those related to adapting Moldovan legislation to European standards. This is a huge undertaking, and someone has to do it.”
Victoria Belous suggests focusing not so much on the number of civil servants as on their performance. As an example, the minister cited the National Commission for the Financial Market (CNPF). Over the course of a year, the commission’s decisions on the protection of financial services consumers have compelled companies to refund more than 200 million lei to citizens.
“This shows that investing in qualified professionals can yield tangible results for society,” Belous believes.
At the same time, she notes that the problem with the civil service lies not only in its size but also in the state’s ability to retain professionals. For most public sector employees, salaries remain low. A law enforcement officer earns about 11,000–12,000 lei. As a result, the government loses out to the private sector in the competition for young professionals. At job fairs, young people show virtually no interest in civil service positions.
At the same time, she notes, a special approach is needed for independent institutions—the National Bank, ANRE, the Competition Council, and CNPF. Their powers and independence have been strengthened in recent years, including in line with recommendations from international partners. Consequently, cutting the resources of such institutions could call into question their ability to fulfill their mandated functions.
This is precisely why the minister proposes changing the very criterion for evaluating the civil service: to consider not only salaries and related expenses, but also the results the state achieves with this money. “The main question should not be ‘how many civil servants can we afford,’ but ‘what kind of government do we get for this expenditure,’” Belous emphasized.
