Vasile Tofan
According to the Prime Minister, ministries were asked as early as 9 September to identify potential savings and to put forward concrete proposals for optimisation and consolidation.
“The issue of saving is becoming increasingly fundamental, especially in the context of the difficult winter ahead and rising prices at regional level. … I understand that these measures are difficult, unpopular and that there is resistance within the system. At the same time, now is the most appropriate moment to tackle them, and this exercise is more important than ever,” said Vasile Tofan.
The Prime Minister clarified that the cuts would not primarily target ministries, where staff numbers are already low, but rather agencies.
“The potential for staff reductions does not lie with the ministries – for example, the Ministry of Energy has 59 staff, the Ministry of Health has 69 staff, and the Ministry of Culture has 45 staff – and there is a great deal of work to be done in all these ministries. However, there is potential within the agencies. In this regard, we will optimise in two areas: staff cuts, which will range from 10 per cent to 30 per cent, and the merging of certain agencies, particularly those with small staff numbers, with the aim of reducing costs. “It makes more sense to have a single accountant serving several agencies, a single HR officer, and a single lawyer, where possible,” explained the Prime Minister.
Among the examples given is the merger of the four agencies in the transport sector: the Railway Agency, the National Road Transport Agency, the Maritime Agency and the Civil Aviation Authority.
“At the Ministry of the Environment, in the forestry sector, we have committed to merging 17 departments. Minister Hajder has put forward an even more ambitious proposal – to merge 23 units, which would enable us to save up to 70 million lei. I realise it’s difficult, but we must do this,” said Vasile Tofan.
The savings will start with the Government
The Prime Minister also said that cost-saving measures must begin with the institution he heads and announced a 39 per cent reduction in the number of posts in the Prime Minister’s Office’s staffing tables.
“A few weeks ago, I signed an order reducing by 39 per cent the number of posts in the Prime Minister’s Office’s staffing tables for which annual funding is allocated from the budget. The Prime Minister’s Office must set an example in our cost-saving efforts. I am calling on all institutions and agencies to show solidarity. Cost-saving is not just about staff cuts, but also about taking proactive measures to reduce expenditure wherever possible. Prudent spending of public money and solidarity will help us get through this winter successfully,” the Prime Minister concluded.
This story was translated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.The translation was also reviewed by the Logos Press editorial team.
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