Moldovan cabinet approves new draft law on government

Chisinau, 08 June /MOLDPRES/ – The Cabinet of Ministers approved a new draft law on Government as part of the public administration reform today. The old law, approved in 1990 and republished in 2002, after several changes in the legislative act, exceeded by time and no longer corresponded to modern government system.

"The actual law on Government’s content has become incoherent, inconsistent, uneven and with norms that in some cases double," said the project authors.

The new document, developed by the Center for Implementation of Reforms, does not include the new structure of the Government, unlike the current law that provides for the exhaustive list of ministries and other authorities of the public administration, but stipulates that "the Prime Minister may ask Parliament, mandate exercise, the ministries’ list amendment", including in case of reorganization. Thus, after the passage of the law in Parliament and its entry into force, the Prime Minister will have the right to amend the list of ministries through a more simplified procedure. Finally, the number of ministries will be reduced, and many of the government agencies will be merged by organic law.

Prime Minister Pavel Filip expressed his hope the draft law to be voted in the spring-summer session and that within one month to submit proposals on the new Government structure.

The Government’s functions and powers deriving from them are outlined in the draft, and the Government’s activity areas are clearly listed. The law stipulates obvious procedures, strictly defined competencies and well-determined objectives. The capacity of the State Chancellery to become a "Centre of Government" is to be strengthened.

The project clearly separates political functions from administrative ones, exercised by ministers, with the subsequent transfer of management functions to the exclusive competence of the State Secretaries. The positions of Deputy Minister will be reduced, the of which number stands at 38.

The Financial Investigation Office (BIF) and the Prime Minister’s Control Corps (CC) are to be set up.

The project has got 07 chapters, referring to the Government powers, investiture, exercise and mandate termination, status of the members of the Cabinet of Ministers, organization of the Government’s activity and its relations with other public authorities.

The draft will be submitted to Parliament for adoption.

(Reporter V. Bercu, editor A. Raileanu)