The Foundation For The Defense Of Citizens Against State Abuses (FACIAS) recently won a court case against CFR Călători, forcing the state-owned company to disclose information on the remuneration of its board members. The FACIAS action is part of the "No Incompetents in Public Office" campaign, an initiative to stop the appointment of poorly trained but politically entrenched people to office.
Political appointments to key positions in state-owned companies have had serious consequences for their performance. Research by FACIAS shows that incompetence is frequently rewarded with exorbitant salaries, while companies make massive losses. FACIAS tried to find out how much the state pays for each of those who generate losses of tens and hundreds of millions of euros. CFR Călători refused the request, so the foundation sued them, and the court ruled in their favour. The rail company is now forced to reveal how much money it is paying for incompetence. Between 2020 and 2021, the state-owned company made losses of more than 600 million lei.
REFORM AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE MANAGEMENT OF STATE-OWNED COMPANIES
FACIAS calls on the government to prioritise reform in the management of state-owned companies, insisting on the need to appoint on the basis of competence and performance, not political criteria. It is essential that the people appointed to these positions have the necessary qualifications and experience to effectively lead and contribute to the performance of these companies. The state must implement strict standards of transparency in the appointment process to ensure efficient and ethical management of public resources.
FACIAS PRESS OFFICE