Will staff reduction really apply to officials?
15 342 people are members of village councils in Belarus. By coincidence, the staff of officials in the state apparatus should be reduced by the same number.
“I think that the number of officials will have to be reduced significantly - by 25-30%. The reduction should affect higher officials more. Unnecessary functions should be removed and officials' salaries should be greatly increased afterwards," Lukashenka said last October.
It has taken three months to make the first steps in this direction. Euroradio has paid attention to the President's decree "On uniting districts and regional cities having one administrative centre in the Republic of Belarus". The decree eliminates two district councils at a time - in Polatsk and Orsha. It is explained by the state administration system simplification.
“The following districts and cities having a common administrative centre in the Republic of Belarus should be united for the purpose of the state administration system simplification ..."
The decree affects two districts - Polatsk and Orsha Districts. Deputy councils should be eliminated and united with city councils within a month. I managed to phone Orsha deputy council and a man answered me. But little was said – the process had started...
“The process has started. Everything is scheduled. I cannot comment on anything else."
The man also assured me that all the employees of the district council would be offered other jobs. He did not specify where they would find new jobs but promised that it would be done.
“All the people will be offered other jobs. The district and city administrations want to find placement for all these people."
Maybe this decree demonstrates the essence of the state apparatus reduction. Lukashenka plans to reduce the staff of officials by 13 or 15 thousand people. There are 56 thousand officials (including various deputies) in Belarus.
There is another way to reduce the state apparatus. Lidziya Yarmoshyna let out a secret in an interview with "Belarus-1" on February 3: village councils will be liquidated. By coincidence, there are 15 342 memebrs of village council in Belarus...
And that's all there is to the state apparatus reduction.
