CIVIL formed a citizen working group for the implementation of the Initiative #EndProfligacy on June 5, 2019, when the debate with the same title was also held. The first step of CIVIL and of the Working Group is an online petition with demands for cancelling of the privileges:
Initiative for cancelling the privileges – #EndProfligacy
To sign the petition, click HERE.
By signing this petition, I express my support to the Initiative #EndProfligacy initiated by CIVIL and a group of citizens for the cancelling or drastic reduction of the privileges.
From privileges enjoyed by former presidents, to current officials of the Government or Parliament, as well as heads of state agencies and other institutions, namely, all officials, appointed or elected, at the local or state level – all of their privileges must be cancelled, or reduced to a level that is acceptable for a poor country that declares itself as a welfare state, according to the Constitution.
WE DEMAND:
Cancelling of appanages at any level for any position.
Cancelling of life-long pensions for former presidents, up to the moment they fulfil conditions for retirement, according to the incomes they had during their work service.
Cancelling of money and other compensations for all managing boards, that is, the position in these and similar bodies should be honorary, and not a paid one.
Cancelling or merging of state agencies, with a reduction in the number of employees. We demand cancelling of all privileges related to the use of official vehicles, representations, security for officials and other overly expensive privileges.
Drastic reduction of travel costs of officials, more specifically, providing funds in the amount of the price of public transportation.
Establishing a practice of banning procurement of medium and high class official vehicles.
Cancelling discretionary powers of officials.
Significant reduction of the excessive salaries of elected and appointed officials.
Reduction in the number of MPs in the Parliament of the RNM from 120 to 80 MPs.
Reduction in the number of ministers in the Government to a maximum of 10, and cancelling the position Minister without portfolio.
Public disclosure of salary and salary supplements of all officials and managerial staff in institutions and public enterprises at the local and national level.
Introduction of regulations and practices for the privileges, similar to the ones in the Kingdom of Sweden or the Federal Republic of Germany, and even with greater restrictions.
The demands of CIVIL and the citizens imply serious, sincere and consistent interventions in: the Law on salaries and other compensations of the MPs in Parliament, Law on MPs, Law on the rights of the President, as well as many other laws, rules of procedures, rulebooks and other regulations that allow wasteful spending of public money and abuse of power at the local and national level.
CIVIL and the citizens that support this initiative state that the spending of huge amounts of money for life-long privileges of former state presidents is meaningless, regardless of whether they had been up to the task or had been criminals. Simply, there is no logical reason for them to be living life-long in luxury at the expense of the poor citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia.
Officials in the legislative and executive branch of government, and certainly also the local self-government, must give up their luxurious automobiles, travel expenses, representation costs, overly expensive trips for which they have poor excuses, luxuries furniture, procurement of artwork for “decorating” their workplace and all other conveniences to which they are entitled to based on laws behind which are suspicious, and even criminal motives.
CIVIL demands revision of all legal regulations according to which excessive privileges are given to both current and outgoing officials. At a time when children are dying because of the poor health care, when young people in a huge percentage are illiterate, when people are starving and freezing in their homes, it is meaningless to spend millions of euros for satisfying the appetites of officials.
