Bulgaria's Interior Minister Vows Substantial Decrease in Deployment of Surveillance Equipment

Bulgarian Interior Minister Tsvetlin Yovchev has vowed fundamental changes to the legal framework regulating the operations of all services within the Interior Ministry, constant assessments of employee loyalty, and to cut around 15% of its administrative staff.

Yovchev, as cited by dnevnik.bg, presented the program of the Interior Ministry at a press conference on Thursday.

He made clear that the reform aimed to cut the administrative staff of the Interior from the existing 30% to 15% without dismissing people but redirecting them to other jobs.

Bulgaria's Interior Minister also noted that the proposed measures included a substantial reduction in the cases of deployment of special surveillance equipment at the expense of increased efficiency.

Yovchev emphasized that the Interior Ministry unit in charge of the deployment of special surveillance devices was already operating under a substantial overload.

He explained that the reforms at the Interior would also restrict the Interior Minister's possibilities for intervention in in the operational-search activity and the issuance of orders for the deployment of surveillance devices.

Yovchev also vowed changes to the rules of procedure of the Interior Ministry and the State Agency for National Security (DANS) to boost cooperation between in the fight against drug trafficking, terrorism and financial crime.

He told journalists that the reforms would boost the efficiency of the patrol-guard service through new crime mapping and better control.

Yovchev explained that the Interior Ministry would also rely on the assistance of civilian patrols of former employees of the Interior Ministry and the Defense Ministry in remote areas.

He also informed that the Ministry needed a new system for personal assessments of employees which would determine payment and career growth.

He informed that the Interior Ministry officials would be subject to periodical loyalty tests, including polygraph examinations.

Yovchev vowed to tighten control over the legality of the activities of the Interior Ministry, including the assignment of public procurement deals.

Yochev promised frequent reports to media outlets and emphasized that all donations to the Interior Ministry would be banned except those from international organizations.

He said that the impact of some measures would be felt by the end of 2013, while others would have a tangible effect within the first six months of 2014 or by 2015.

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