Prague - By the end of 2009, Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ) will have laid off approximately 300 employees. At the moment the Office employs about 1,700 people.
ČSÚ president Jan Fisher said for ČTK press agency, adding that the reduction is required for the ongoing reform to make the Office more effective.
The annual amount the Office receives from the state budget is roughly CZK one billion (EUR 40 million). "This is a sum that allows the institution to perform only on the basic level," Fisher was quoted by Finanční noviny.
He believes that more money is needed to carry out more profound changes. That's why ČSÚ plans to ask for an EU grant worth CZK 1-1.5 billion to finance these reforms.
The Czech Statistical Office is not the first public institution that has recently announced a massive lay-off.
In September, Czech Post it will lay off as much as 2,500 out of its 37 thousand employees.
