A report sent by Bulgaria's Deputy Prime and Financial Minister Simeon Dyankov to other Cabinet ministers and the chief of Government agencies, including the State Agency for National Security (SANS), as well as the National Statistics Institute (NSI) is instructing them to formulate a strategy whereby they will be prepared to shed as much as 15 per cent of their staff, the Bulgarian News Agency reported on October 5 2009.

The scheme has earmarked entire units with duplicating activities to be shed, while certain other agencies and operations will cease to be financed by the state budget. In all, the Financial Ministry plan has designated around 13 050 out of a total 87 000 people employed in administration to be sacked, Trud daily has said.

Dyankov envisages the complete closure of those entire state-run agencies described as having "identical functions" with other state agencies, but that those who remain in their position will be given higher wages if they can "improve the efficiency of their institution", although the original report from Trud daily has failed to disclose any concrete criteria or details surrounding the scheme.

The government institutions reportedly have been given until November 1 2009 to come up with the trimming plan which is set to be put in motion, ensuring that more than 13 000 people are likely to lose their jobs by Christmas.

The new GERB government has initiated the drastic measures in order to reduce government spending as part of its its effort to tackle the spiraling budget deficit, a legacy blamed on the former government's "lavish spending spree".

The measures are similar to ones undertaken by the Romanian government which announced on September 8 2009 that more than 8500 public servants will be made redundant, as part of a restructuring scheme that aims to trim government agencies and make them more cost efficient as well as productive.

As a direct consequence of the purge, more than half the government agencies are to be terminated altogether while others will be restructured. The administrative shake-up is expected to save as much as one billion euro in the process.

Accordingly, out of the 224 government departments, agencies and other associations, directly or indirectly controlled and subjected to the central government, only 107 will remain in operation. This would mean that 8545 public servants will find themselves looking for a job.