Moldovan PM says government willing simpler, more efficient administration, with greater capacities

Chisinau, 24 March /MOLDPRES/ - Prime Minister Pavel Filip and European Union Ambassador to Moldova Pirkka Tapiola today chaired a working meeting with EU high-level advisers, whose task is to assist authorities in the process of carrying out reforms and implementing the provisions of the Moldova – European Union Association Agreement, the government’s communication and protocol department has reported.       

The discussions were focused on the agenda of reforms, in particular, on the proposal of reforming the central public administration and developments in the anticorruption activity.

The PM stressed the importance of the transfer of knowledge, experience and technical consultancy in the reform process and urged the EU advisers to introduce a new philosophy in the sectors and ministries where they work, based on the best European practices. Pavel Filip urged the high-level advisers to closely cooperate with the centre for reforms’ implementation, set up under the government, in order to convey their experience and expertise in the promotion of reforms in different sectors. In particular, the prime minister referred to the public administration reform, which is a priority of the cabinet.  

In the context, the PM said there are EU 13 member states, the population of which is between one and ten million, just as it is in Moldova’s case, and 12 of them have less ministries than Moldova. “We put emphasis not on the cut in the number of ministries or employees, but on optimization of processes, in order to remove the duties inadequate for ministries. We want a simpler, more efficient administration, with greater capacities and with a better remuneration, oriented towards results,” the prime minister said.  

For his part, Ambassador of the European Union to Moldova Pirkka Tapiola said that “ministries’ reform is a policy of Moldova’s government which we welcome. The ruling coalition, however, is the one able to define the guidelines of the reform. EU is ready to back the public administration reform, with emphasis on the creation of efficient structures providing quality services to citizens.”

As for the development in the anticorruption activity, another subject on the agenda of discussions, the prime minister highlighted that there are two important pillars staying at the basis of Moldova’s development. “The education system and the supremacy of law can ensure the sustainable economic development and the well-being of the residents. We must provide a qualitative education, in conditions when people represent the basic resource of the country and the law should have top priority,” Pavel Filip said. In the context, the prime minister emphasized the importance of preventing corruption and enumerated the concrete steps made in order to fight corruption, among which the adoption of a law on prosecution, integrity package, reform of the judicial system and banking and financial system.    

Those 22 high-level EU advisers exchanged opinions and stressed the significance of a complex assessment of reforms, qualitative implementation and, not in the least, of their communication.