Minister of State Administration and Local Self-Government Branko Ruzic has said that the National Academy for Public Administration will completely transform the public administration and provide more efficient, more courteous and better-educated officers.
In the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, where a discussion on the Bill on the National Academy for Public Administration was launched on Tuesday, Ruzic said that the officers would be able to acquire new knowledge, skills and competencies through special training programs aimed at raising the level of competencies necessary for quality performance of their jobs.
“An officer must, first and foremost, apply the law equitably in all equal situations, so that the citizens, wherever they are in Serbia, would be in an equitable position,” the Minister pointed out, adding that different procedures are applied in municipalities now.
The Academy will, for the first time, provide trainings for all officers, both at the republican and the local level.
He reminded that the republican level officers receive at least some kind of support from the Human Resources Management Service, as opposed to the officers at the local level who have “contrived” to conduct training sessions with the assistance of various international organizations, mainly on implementation of certain laws.
“An officer must do his/her job conscientiously and act in the best interests of all citizens, abide by the rules and serve as an example to others, and it is on us in the Serbian Government to provide a well-organized, equitable system that will not demotivate officers, and to introduce the possibility for promotion and rewarding, in order to increase their motivation’‘ said Ruzic.
The Minister emphasized that the Academy would be open to citizens who are not employed in public administration, who want to learn more about the operation of public administration, introduce a better control of its operation and reassess some activities.
He said that depoliticisation and professionalization of the human resources management system in public administration necessitates a major intervention and further impetus.
“In addition to professional development, this process includes other elements such as planning, staff selection, monitoring and appraisal, rewarding and promotion,” said Ruzic.