STATE ADMINISTRATION
The basic aim in the building of the new administration is its constitution as a civil service. Political organization and activities within state administration are forbidden. The institutions of state administration in the field of defense and the police are headed by civilian persons who prior to their election into those offices must have been civilians for at least three years.
Experience has shown that the normative description of institutions of the new system is a great deal easier than their detailing and the practical realization of the functions of the rule of the law. It is interesting that in those cases where the state has applied principles of the rule of law, particularly in citizens' protests, this has been accompanied by criticism of the presence of the authoritian syndrome.
At the same time, those principles have still not been applied in some vital fields, such as the financial sphere, taxation and other areas where the law is not sufficiently respected. The most important changes to be made, however, are those in the mentality and attitude of subordination. In the past, state administration was predominantly oriented towards implementing federal laws and regulations, whereas now it has to act autonomous and creative authority.
State administration is organized in 15 ministries with regional units in all the communities and other bodies of administration. A fundamental reorganization and functional transformation is planned of state administration into a modern and effective service. The computer network installed a few years ago should provide new links and relations between the bodies of state administration and rationalize its entire operation.
New and important state bodies and institutions have been established and are working successfully. They include the Customs Administration, the Civil Aviation Board, the Payment Operations Office, the Public Revenues Administration and the Privatization Agency. There have been significant steps taken in the restructuring of banking and the development of underdeveloped areas.
A new law on the Government is in preparation, which is expected to be a further improvement in the organization of administration, and in the definition of relations, competencies and interdependence of the Government, the Ministries and the units of local self-government. At the present moment these units have no clear competencies, and in some important areas, no competencies at all. The Local Self-Government Act is expected to establish the concept of new relations and to increase the efficiency and rationality of the operations of all the bodies of state administration and units of local self-government.
