Red tape record: 14 signatures on a document sent by the Finance Ministry

The large number of signatures and stamps needed on documents issued by state institutions is only meant to cover the incompetence of workers in the administrative sector, which saw more than 100,000 employees removed from its ranks, but the system's reformation changed nothing. An article published yesterday by ZF generated reactions from former civil servants, who say a document issued by the Ministry can have 14 signatures on it, not just four, as mentioned in the ZF article.
"Hiding behind a seal is an old habit, which is not specific only to Romania. The more signatures and stamps on a document, the more incompetent are those involved in drawing it up, because they dodge responsibility," said Dumitru Miron, vice-chancellor of the Academy of Economic Studies.