Romanian prime minister Ilie Bolojan said the government will submit arguments to the Constitutional Court (CCR) in support of the four measures included in the public administration reform package challenged by the Ombudsman. The PM acknowledged that the Ombudsman has the constitutional right to refer emergency ordinances to the CCR but noted that this prerogative had not been exercised in the past three years.

The first contested measure allows a civil servant to work part-time for two commune town halls. According to the prime minister, the provision addresses staffing shortages in small localities, where some positions do not require a full-time employee, while qualified personnel are difficult to recruit.

“In many small localities, a civil servant does not have full-time work. Others find it difficult to find qualified people for certain positions. An urban planner, for example, has nothing to do full-time at a small town hall,” Bolojan explained. 

He said the measure is intended to reduce personnel expenses while allowing rural administrations to hire qualified staff and improve services for residents.

The second measure introduces an obligation for both the seller and the buyer of a property or vehicle to present a tax clearance certificate proving that they have no outstanding debts to the local administration.

“Until now, only the seller had this obligation. It is common sense for a buyer who has money for important purchases to pay his obligations to the community before making new investments,” Bolojan said.

A third provision would allow city halls or the Social Inspection Agency to withhold up to one-third of certain social benefits when recipients have unpaid debts to public authorities.

“Is it right for a citizen to receive aid but not contribute at all to the functioning and development of the community in which he lives? Is it okay to only have rights without fulfilling minimal obligations?” the prime minister argued.

The fourth contested measure provides for the suspension of a driving licence if traffic fines remain unpaid after a reasonable period.

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Gov.ro)