First tranche of EUR 30.5 million for public administration reform

The European Commission has approved the payment of the first tranche of EUR 30.5 million for the reform of the public administration in Serbia.

The Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government of Serbia announced that the progress in this field was noted at the meeting of the Platform for the Dialogue about the Policies within the Reform of the Public Administration, along with the warning that efforts need to be made toward the strengthening of administrative capacities.

Serbian Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government Branko Ruzic pointed out that the good news were the result of the efforts made by the Government in the preceding period toward the stabilization of public finance, the reform of the public administration and meeting the obligations in the process of European integration.

He said that the regulatory framework had been considerably upgraded in the previous year and a half, especially in the field of HR management, the improvement of the quality of services provided to citizens and the securing of higher transparency of labor and the inclusion of the public in policy making.

Serbian Minister of European Integration Jadranka Joksimovic pointed out that, in the past years, the government had fought the financial crisis and that, despite the fact that results had been achieved in various field, the administration still lacked the capacities that would allow it to dedicate itself more to the EU integration and the withdrawing of funds provided by the EU.

Finance Minister Sinisa Mali said that the most significant progress in carrying out the program had been achieved in the improvement of the credibility of macroeconomic forecasts and the further execution of the multi-year program budgeting at all administrative levels.

He added that the progress was visible in the improvement of the strategic and regulatory framework for financial control in the public sector and public procurement regulations and procedures.

The head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, Sem Fabrizi, once again emphasized the importance of the reform of the public administration for the accession of Serbia to the EU, but also added that it was necessary for the further activities to be directed at the reform of the public official system, based on transparency, being professional, merits, better policy planning and macroeconomic stability.

Vlada Republike Srbije

Ministarstvo za evropske integracije Republike Srbije

EUROPEAN COMMISSION Bruxelles

Ministarstvo državne uprave i lokalne samouprave Republike Srbije

Jadranka Joksimovic

public administration reform in Serbia

Branko Ruzic

Sinisa Mali

Sem Fabrizi