Gov't cuts state secretary, sub-prefect posts to save money

The Government has approved state secretary and sub-prefect position cuts. PM Emil Boc says the current 57 secretary of state jobs in the various ministries will be reduced to 32. The two positions of sub-prefects currently existing at every county prefecture except Bucharest will become one. 'The 57 current secretary of state offices in the ministries, seven of which being vacant, will become 32. I have already signed the orders for dismissal of 17 secretaries of state and two under-secretaries of state,' Boc said after the meeting. 'In Bucharest, we will retain two of the three sub-prefects,' he further noted.

The prime-minister also said that, in the case of the Ministry of Interior, a post would be only scrapped after the Supreme Defence Council (CSAT) approves it. Last week, the Government had decided to only keep two secretaries of state in each ministry except for the Ministries of Interior, Foreign Affairs and Public Finance, where there would be three. Government spokeswoman Ioana Muntean at the same time explained there were four ministries where no changes would be operated as they already had one or two secretaries of state. Those are the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Communications, the Ministry of National defence - all of which have two secretaries of state, and the Ministry of Culture that only has one.

By recent cuts, the Government hopes to save a total of EUR 2 M by the end of the year and EUR 4.5 - 5 M during a full year. As the head of the Executive pointed out, the state spends some EUR 110,000 on a state secretary every year, the sum including his salary, the salaries of his office members, fuel, travel costs and other associated services. The state also spends EUR 77,000 on a sub-prefect and EUR 33,000 on an under-secretary of state.

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