“The Roma clerk programme introduced in district proves to be successful, assisting with official administration issues since the summer at about 50% of the District Offices”, said the Minister of State for Territorial Public Administration of the Ministry of Public Administration and Justice on Friday, at a press conference held in Budapest. Erika Szabó explained: in the summer about 95 Roma clerks started their work at the County District Offices and Budapest District Offices.

In general, they work as employees of the department of official affairs, and their task is to maintain contact with specialist administrative organs, non-governmental organisations, and to be involved in the management of Child Welfare issues. In several counties, Roma clerks monitor the support and tendering opportunities open to Roma communities, and they also inform the Romas living in those counties thereof.

The introduction of such system in Hungarian public administration is a path breaking initiative. There has never been an example for public administration to employ Roma clerks in order to help Roma citizens with administrative issues, she added. Erika Szabó explained that 15 per cent of the Roma clerks hold higher education degrees. The service provided to the Roma population by Roma clerks has proven to be successful, said Erika Szabó. Flórián Farkas, President of the National Roma Municipal Government, Member of Parliament representing Fidesz, called the Roma clerks programme a success story. In his opinion the issues that may also have entailed conflicts in other cases are much more successfully and efficiently managed now. He said that the clients of the clerks are not exclusively from among the Roma population as “poverty is not only Romany issue”.

(Ministry of Public Administration and Justice)