Dukaj: Public Administration Candidates Will Have Six Months to Pass the Professional Exam

Photo: Parliament of Montenegro

Candidates who are hired in public administration without having passed the professional exam will have six months to pass it, and if they fail to meet this condition, their employment relationship will end in accordance with the law.

Public Administration Minister Marash Dukaj told Parliament that the proposed amendments to the Law on State Employees and Civil Servants are needed in the context of the European Union integration process and the need for more staff in administration.

Dukaj stressed that the professional exam is not being abolished, but candidates will be allowed to start work even before passing it, with the obligation to pass it within six months of employment.

The changes were criticized by the opposition, which raised questions about whether the measure puts candidates who have already passed the exam on equal footing with those who have not.

GP URA also demanded improved salaries and working conditions in the public sector, while raising concerns about pay disparities between employees of state institutions.