Official data is quite conservative, and its reliability is questionable, but it shows a steady trend of increasing public sector employment. It is important to emphasise that there is no unified record of the number of employees in state and local government owned enterprises.
The downside of all this is flawed hiring procedures and a complete lack of vision and meritocracy from the Government. I deliberately use the word meritocracy because many of today’s politicians were inclined to promise it while they were in opposition. The latest example of backsliding is the reintroduction of the rule where, instead of school boards, the Minister of Education decides on the appointment of school principals. Not even two years ago, these provisions were abolished in the same manner as they were introduced—by the Parliament, without public debate, explanation, or a systemic approach. The new parliamentary majority, led by the “Europe Now” Movement, justified the removal of authority from school boards by citing poor results.
Without a predictable procedure and clear criteria for testing all candidates, there can be no depoliticisation and professionalisation. Reducing and adjusting the number of employees to meet the real needs of the public sector—so-called “optimisation”—has disappeared from the Government’s comprehensive reform plans, and even from the recently presented Draft Fiscal Strategy, despite a decision by the previous Democratic Party of Socialists government to significantly reduce public administration staffing.
For example, the Public Administration Optimisation Plan for 2018-2020 called for a 3 percent reduction in employees by the end of 2018, or 1,179 fewer employees. Instead of being optimised, the administration only expanded, and one could say there is quite a disorder in the public sector—or better, sectors—since the rules are so fragmented, and data management and accountability are lacking even where clear rules and punitive measures for oversight and record-keeping on salaries and employment exist.
It’s difficult to precisely determine the actual number of employees in public administration, and records are not always kept on individuals engaged through freelance or temporary contracts. The establishment of these contracts must be conducted more transparently, with clear plans and identified needs.
Milena Muk
Public policy researcher
You can read the text on the Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN-CG)
