Nomenclature upheld its position in the regions

On July 1^st, the administrative reform was officially completed. Formally, the state apparatus has been cut by 30%. However, the President’s state apparatus reform has failed. Layoffs largely concerned retirement age and mid-level civil servants.

Administrative reform was launched with the Presidential Decree No168 of 12 April 2013 “Measures to optimize the system of government agencies and other government organizations, as well as the number of their employees”. And it has failed. Layoffs in the public administration were formal: the majority either retired or resigned. Other tricks were used. For example, in the Gomel region, vacancies were not filled in order to lay off fewer “real” servants. Layoffs largely concerned retirement age and mid-level civil servants.

Paradoxically, as a result of the administrative reform, the nomenclature is gradually becoming stronger than the president. Lukashenko is only capable of targeted staff purges. The failed administrative reform implies that: 1) the president is weak; 2) Minsk controls its appointees, but not the management system as a whole.

However, not all figures have been disclosed as yet: for example, there is no data about those who have been laid off in the Minsk region. Unofficial sources say that Minsk City Executive Committee will suffer the most serious personnel rotation, which will be led by the President himself. Indirectly, this confirms the appointment of Gomel region-born Vasily Akulich as Deputy Chairman of the Minsk Oblast Executive Committee, who previously was Logoysky region Executive Committee Chairman.

Originally, the reform aimed to reduce the number of civil servants by one-fourth in order to save USD 130 million a year. Part of the savings would be used to replenish the state budget, and part to increase wages of the remaining officials.