In February 2018, the Council of Ministers signed an order for the establishment, organization as well as operation of the Concentrated Purchasing Agency responsible for issuing almost all government tenders.
But the law, excludes the agency’s employees from having the civil worker status, unlike those in the public administration. The government’s decision outlines that the relationship between employers and employees is regulated based on the Labor Code.
Euronews Albania reached out to the Public Administration Department, which confirmed that the employees of the Concentrated Purchasing Agency do not have civil worker status.
As a result, they are not picked out from a race conducted by the Public Administration Department, but it is the directors that can elect or discharge, based on their assessment, these workers. But how do experts see the lack of “civil worker status” for people employed in such crucial institutions?
“Operating with the Labor Code offers more bureaucratic and procedural facilities to build a working relationship, but on the other hand, it embeds a sense of high insecurity on the employee and his position, and this is done on purpose, in order to give to the state the upper hand in discharging workers using minimalistic procedures, in a straightforward and quick way, so that they cannot claim compensation”, says Erion Muça, career and employment expert.
In its response for Euronews Albania, the Public Administration Department confirmed that the two former workers of the Concentrated Purchases Agency arrested by SPAK, namely Mariglen Buzhali and Klevis Hasani, had no data in the central personnel registry, which is the main database for the employees of the administration.
Meanwhile, it turns out that Edlira Naqellari was initially working as the director of procurement developments, three months after the establishment of the agency, while in December 2018 she was appointed as the general director, a post she held until this year on July 1, a few days prior to SPAK’s operation.
“Not only a civil worker status is necessary, but a proper bonus compensation system should have been in place in such important institutions that are responsible for the management of the state budget, with the intent of providing them with the necessary motivation so as not to leave gaps for abuses”, says Muça.
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