T
here is, however, a pending issue, which
concerns the meaningful reform of local
government legislation, precisely because
5 years have passed since the rearrangement that
took place under the “Kallikratis” plan and revealed
a series of important institutional, zoning, economic
and development-related problems. All these
issues need to be redefined on the basis of the
experience acquired during this period.
At the same time, we are committed to the admin-
istrative reform of the state itself, an administrative
restructuring that starts froma very flexible and
small central government, comprising only 10 min-
istries, and will move forward with mergers of
organisations and services, as well as the effective
decentralization of state competencies, through a
change in Decentralized Administrations.
The purpose of this plan is not to further reduce the
number of the state’s workforce; on the contrary, it
will make it possible to modernise and fully utilize
this force in key positions in the apparatus, by
ensuring real and honest personnel evaluation,
cracking down on political patronage, eliminating
department overlaps, enabling economies of scale,
and covering all needs of the population, thus
shaping a new perception of the relationship
between the citizens and the state.
Central to this reform is the fast achievement of the
targets related to the main parameters of e-gov-
ernment, the interconnection of the information
systems of all ministries, and the multitude of
requirements concerning the fulfilment of primary
production relationships and popular needs. Their
coordination will produce an easily accessible
common base for the implementation of reform
policies on crucial issues, such as health benefits,
insurance, and cracking down on tax evasion or
the evasion of social security contributions. Of
course, access to financial data will be facilitated,
through the information systems of the Ministry of
Finance and other priority sectors for e-govern-
ment.
Trade with Greece
8
Greece’s recently elected municipal and
regional authorities must be equipped with
the tools, the resources and the powers
required for responding to extreme social
phenomena, which are related to the health,
social situation and social cohesion of the
country’s population. This is their first and
foremost duty.
Our aim is the
administrative reform of
the state
By Nikos Voutsis,
Minister of the Interior and Administrative Reconstruction
