The Romanian Government approved the creation of a working group for the reform of public enterprises during its meeting on July 24, Government spokesperson Ioana Dogioiu announced.
The group, established by decision of the Prime Minister, will be tasked with evaluating the performance of state-owned companies and proposing structural reforms aimed at improving transparency, efficiency, and financial accountability.
The task group will be coordinated by Deputy Prime Minister Dragoş Anastasiu, a businessman and founder of the Eurolines group, with support from Deputy Prime Minister Marian Neacşu, a senior official of the Social Democratic Party (PSD). Despite his fragile expertise, Neacşu has previously held multiple board-level positions in state institutions, including the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE). He also served as secretary general in the cabinet of PSD Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu.
The group will also include representatives from the ministries of Finance, Economy, Transport, Energy, Environment, Health, Justice, Digitalization, and the Secretary-General of the Government.
The new working group is distinct from an expert advisory body still to be formed, which will consist of private sector professionals serving as external consultants.
The group’s key objectives include reducing the number of directors and supervisory board members, revising management compensation, implementing performance-based evaluation systems, and enhancing transparency through the publication of allowances, indicators, and key financial data.
Other targets include the reorganization of the Authority for the Management of State Holdings in Public Enterprises (AMEPIP) to strengthen its monitoring capacity, in alignment with Romania’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) and OECD standards.
Further measures under consideration include the closure, merger, or divestment of state enterprises that have posted losses for over three consecutive years, the listing of certain public companies on the stock exchange, and a review of existing arrears. The group is also expected to expand the number of eligible firms that assist ministries in drawing up selection criteria for public enterprise leadership roles.
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iulian@romania-insider.com
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