The civil service has been reduced by approximately six percent. The government plans to continue the restructuring of the government apparatus.
This was stated by Minister Marinus Bee of Binnenlandse Zaken on Wednesday, ahead of the meeting of the Raad van Ministers (RvM, Council of Ministers). According to the minister, scientific research must determine how many civil servants are actually needed for the government to function efficiently.
“We have reduced the civil service by approximately six percent, and this policy will be continued,” Bee said. However, the minister could not indicate how many civil servants the government apparatus should ultimately employ.
According to him, various figures have been mentioned, ranging from 20,000 to 30,000 civil servants. However, the government wants to base the determination of the desired size on scientific research. Experts must examine how many staff members are needed for the government to function efficiently.
Tracking down ghost civil servants proves difficult
Another point of concern remains the presence of so-called ghost civil servants: persons who are on the government payroll but perform no work. Bee acknowledged that tracking down these individuals is proving difficult.
“That is very difficult to verify,” the minister said. He could not indicate how many ghost civil servants are still currently in the system. The ministry also hopes for support from society, but according to Bee, this cooperation has so far been slow.
“We hope that we can make progress, because everyone must be deployed in the interest of the country,” he stressed.
More than 500 retirees still in government system
The minister further announced that it was recently established that more than 500 retired civil servants are still listed in the government system, without a dispensation being registered for them.
According to Bee, dispensation is necessary to retain retired civil servants in government service and continue paying them after they have reached retirement age.
The minister will soon send a letter to the relevant ministries to determine whether these persons have the required dispensation.
Through these checks, the ministry aims to gain more clarity on personnel records and the legitimacy of salary payments within the government.
