Rama says transition team consulted many cabinet structures around the world, especially those of small countries that had recently joined the European Union
TIRANA, July 24 – Edi Rama, who is set to become Albania’s new prime minister in September, introduced Wednesday changes to the structure of the government, which will allow him to add new seats to the cabinet and shift responsibilities among several ministries.
Rama said his transition team had made a detailed analysis of the existing government structure and considered it be too big and not efficient enough.
It is full of “many parasites that need to be drastically cut,” he said.
His word sparked some concern that there would be massive layoffs of government workers, a regular feature after a change in government in Albania, where many have found employment through political affiliation.
The structure of the new cabinet will be based on the new government’s priorities and other needs for the country, he said.
The prime minister elect said they had consulted many cabinet structures in the world, especially those of small countries that had recently joined the European Union.
Rama said his own staff as prime minister would see significant cuts from the current prime minister’s office. He added there would be more efficient communication between his cabinet and the entire government body.
Rama said a number of the inter-ministerial committees would be established to create a more efficient governance with clear-cut competencies and coordinating powers.
The new cabinet structure will have a deputy prime minister with no other cabinet posts. He or she will be focused on the government priorities and try to better coordinate work among different cabinet seats.
In general, Rama said there would be deep reforms in all the structures. But he said there would be no structural change for the key ministries of finance, interior, defense, foreign affairs, health and justice.
The structural reform would start with the European Integration Ministry that will have more and stronger competencies “at the time when it is high time to give an end to the non-coordination of the duties [in the European integration process] that are being increased with our integration agenda,” he said.
The Economy Ministry would undergo a total reshuffle. He considered the existing one as having a “very heavy structure with a broad specter of issues being covered and resulting with many deficiencies.”
It will be divided into two. One will be the Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Enterprise that will cover the national and regional development, business climate and international ties.
“There will be a totally fundamentally different stand and behavior with the business community,” he said.
The other new ministry will be that of energy and industry, covering energy projects and all natural resources in the country.
The Public Works and Transport Ministry will also be divided into two. One will cover transport and infrastructure, while the other will cover urban development and tourism, which will plan and control the territory and other projects on them.
The Agriculture, Rural Development and Waters Ministry will have a special project to include water resources in the country’s development. That will be taken away from the Environment Ministry.
Education and Sport Ministry will be formed, with sports being taken away from the Culture Ministry.
While the Social Welfare and Youth Ministry will aim at taking ahead the transforming project of the professional education for young people.
The Ministry of Culture will focus on culture and cultural inheritance.
The Environment Ministry will stronger powers to check and oppose all development projects that don’t meet green standards.
Rama also said there would be ministers without portfolios to cover innovation and human resources as well as to cover coordination between the central and the local authorities, in addition to working with different groups and minorities.
Rama said that the names for the cabinet ministers would not be known next month, however he said, “The new government will gave the largest number of women ministers in Albania’s history.”
