Economy and finance ministries to merge again - daily

Economy and finance ministries to merge again - daily

BELGRADE -- A cabinet reshuffle is "already on the horizon" writes a Belgrade-based daily, adding that ministries of finance and economy will once again be merged into one.

Citing unnamed sources, the newspaper Danas writes that Nenad Mijailovic could be appointed to head that future ministry. He currently serves as a state secretary in the Ministry of Finance.

"Chances are that (Finance Minister) Dusan Vujovic will return to the World Bank, while further engagement of the current economy minister, Zeljko Sertic, is not known, since the position he came from - the post of president of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce - was filled two days ago," the article said.

The daily observed that "current Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic has had no luck with the selection of people for this department that is the most important and has so far proved to be the most turbulent."

The finance and economy portfolios were first combined in mid-2012 and entrusted to Mladjan Dinkic, "and although Ivica Dacic served as premier at the time, Vucic undoubtedly had a role in the personnel solutions."

Dinkic left the position during the first reshuffle of that cabinet "due to his clash with Dacic," and after that, the ministry was divided in two - Lazar Krstic was made finance minister, while Sasa Radulovic was given the economy portfolio. However, the latter "quickly resigned," while "Progressive (party official) Igor Mirovic coordinated the ministry until the early elections."

The new government headed by Vucic included in its ranks Dusan Vujovic as the economy minister, who was given the finance portfolio after Krstic resigned. Vujovic's job, meanwhile, was...