Mitsotakis: We need to remove 15,000 civil servants by 2014

Αdministrative Reform Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis gave assurances that civil servants who joined the public sector with qualifications and merit-based procedures are not at risk.

When asked as to how many employees will stay in the public sector after 2015, Mitsotakis said the total number will be below 600,000 given the retirements, but under the 1 to 5 ratio. "It is not a numeric issue. The best government has to do with the procedures set out by the public sector and the way it perform them."

The minister spoke at the morning show of Ant1 and reiterated that the Greek government has undertaken the obligation to remove 15,000 civil servants by the end of 2014. "But the more undetected cases of perjurers, offenders etc. we locate the less likely they are to be found outside the mobility tank."

He also said that slackers and those convicted of disciplinary offenses will be removed immediately from the public sector.

Lastly he strongly criticized the Papandreou government saying it was a wrong decision to increase taxes and preserve the big government instead of restructuring the public sector.