The Cape Verdean government plans to merge and close several public bodies in order to reduce operating expenses for the State and improve the country’s competitiveness, Cape Verde’s Prime Minister said in Praia Friday.

José Maria Neves announced that, by 2013, 18 of the 145 central administration bodies would be closed as part of measures carried out as part of the “Change to Compete” programme, established in 2011.

Speaking at the end of the first meeting of the Coordinating Council of the “Change to Compete” Programme, José Maria das Neves said that the programme’s measures were intended to speed up growth and competitiveness in the country.

“Many of the 100 measures can only be implemented after a new Budget and so several of them are part of the 2013 State Budget, and we are thus planning substantially to reduce operating expenses and improve the quality of public spending,” said the Prime Minister cited by Portuguese news agency Lusa.

The “Change to Compete” programme announced by the Cape Verdean Prime Minister in October 2011, is intended to simplify Public Administration procedures and improve the State’s relationship with citizens and companies, as a way of increasing the country’s competitiveness. (macauhub)