“We have devoted most of the Session of the Coordination Commission for Inspection Supervision to the current situation in regards to the inspection services in Serbia. We have jointly concluded that the current situation is extremely difficult and complex, that the age structure is unfavourable, and that we have an insufficient number of inspectors”, the Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government, Aleksandar Martinović, PhD, has stated today following the held Session of the Coordination Commission for Inspection Supervision, which he chaired.
Martinović has announced that, due to this alarming situation, the Law on Inspection Supervision shall soon undergo changes, and that the Government of the Republic of Serbia agrees on this issue.
“Regardless of these objective issues which are not new, but have existed for years, I believe that by amending the Law on Inspection Supervision, we will solve at least one part, if not all, of the problems. What is certain is that we have to make some progress during this year. I must also say that Prime Minister Ana Brnabić is aware of the situation, and is actively involved in its monitoring,” Martinović has emphasized, adding that a larger number of people will be included in the Working Group which shall prepare the amendments so that the legal solution can be of high quality.
Recalling that the average age of inspectors in Serbia is 59, and that more than 160 republican inspectors shall retire this year, Martinović has pointed out that there is also an additional problem of leaving the service. He has stated that the reasons for their leaving are various, and that the most common reasons are extremely difficult working conditions and a large number of unpleasant situations in the field. Martinović has also recalled that inspectors have an important role in all areas of life in which they operate, especially in respect of the grey economy, but also in the field of healthcare and agriculture.
At the Session of the Coordination Commission for Inspection Supervision, the Annual Reports on the Work of Inspections for 2022, the Annual Plans of the Inspection Supervision of Republic Inspections for 2023, and checklists have been discussed and adopted, new Rules of Procedure were adopted for more efficient and economical work, and the Working Group for Monitoring, Harmonizing and Conducting Inspection Supervision over Non-profit Organizations was formed.
Heads of Administrative Districts in the Republic of Serbia have also attended the Session of the Coordination Commission for Inspection Supervision, while Martinović announced that such practice will continue in the future.
“Without the active participation and active role of all Heads of Administrative Districts in the Republic of Serbia, the problems which the inspections face cannot be solved. From today onwards, the Heads of Administrative Districts will have an important role in the work of the Coordination Commission, and we shall strengthen the link between the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government and them,” Martinović has concluded.
