17 March 2004 17:09
RUSSIA: NEW MINISTER PROMISES BIG PERSONNEL CUTS
In a televised meeting with President Putin on 16 March, Transportation and Communications Minister Igor Levitin
announced that his preliminary plan for his ministry will reduce its staff by 1,700 people, RTR reported. Levitin said
the new ministry -- which was created by combining the Communications, Transportation, and Railways ministry --
currently has 2,300 employees. If implemented, Levitan's cuts would counter criticism from commentators such as
Problems of Globalization Institute Research Director Mikhail Delyagin, who said on 11 March that he doubts the recent
administrative reform will lead to reductions in the number of bureaucrats, RosBalt reported. "We reduced 24
ministries, but created in their place 42 departments," Delyagin said. "In his decree, the president said in
black and white that the organization of cooperation among the new structures will be accomplished within the framework
of each ministry. If each minister creates his own administrative model, then there will be chaos." JAC Copyright
(c) 2004. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
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