30 body cameras donated to the State Labour Inspectorate with European Union and International Labour Organization support
A set of thirty body cameras and related equipment have been donated to the State Labour Inspectorate (SLI), under the authority of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, to enhance the efficiency and transparency of the State Labour Inspectorate (SLI). This initiative was carried out under the “EU support to inclusive labour markets in the Republic of Moldova” project funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Labour Organization (ILO).
This initiative aims to strengthen SLI’s operational capacities by providing them with an additional tool to improve the execution of unannounced inspections. This supports the legal provision that came into force on March 1, 2023, which grants SLI specialists the right to conduct unannounced visits on the activities of economic agents. It will also increase the risk analysis and promote internal policies of integrity and zero tolerance toward abuse and corruption.
“The reform of the State Labour Inspectorate is delivering results beyond expectations. Since the beginning of the year, new cases of undeclared work are being discovered daily during unannounced inspections, and this shows that we need to continue at an even faster pace. Body cameras for inspectors will improve efficiency and bring greater transparency and trust in their work. Over the years, the reputation of inspectors has suffered, and these cameras will help prevent any form of abuse and corruption from both sides. I thank our partners for their support and collaboration in our mission to combat undeclared work and non-compliance with occupational safety and health measures,” stated Alexei Buzu, Minister of Labour and Social Protection.
The use of body cameras during labour inspections is expected to increase public trust in state institutions and strengthen the credibility of the SLI. At the same time, the implementation of these technologies will improve accountability, transparency, and evidence collection, while also protecting inspectors from accusations of abuse or corruption.
”Unfortunately, the level of confidence of the citizens of Moldova in state institutions is very low. In particular the distrust is widespread in relation to control bodies. People link this mistrust with the high level of corruption. The Use of body camera during inspections will help the labour inspectors to keep integrity, professionalism and transparency at highest level while conducting its activities. The European Union will continue to help the state institutions so that the citizens of Moldova to benefit of qualitative and transparent inspections, in accordance with the legal framework and the best European practices, ” stated Jānis Mažeiks, Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova.
”This contribution represents only a small part of the project implemented by the ILO which focuses both on improving the legal framework, existing policies on labour inspection, strengthening the capacities of labour inspectors to ensure better access to the labour market and improving working conditions in the Republic of Moldova, as well as providing the necessary material support. This support will contribute to the sustainability of overall activities aimed at improving the regulatory framework needed in the context of the ongoing institutional reform, including in the context of aligning national legislation with the EU acquis and ILO standards,” added Claire Harasty, ILO Director for Central and Eastern Europe
The total budget allocated for purchasing the cameras is EUR 45 000. The body cameras will be distributed across ten strategic locations – the Central administrative office of the State Labour Inspectorate and territorial labour inspectorates in Chișinău, Bălți, Cahul, Cimișlia, Drochia, Edineț, Orhei, UTA Gagauzia, Călărași, and Căușeni. The equipment package includes licenses, magnetic mounting kits, chargers, controllers, one central workstation and specialised software. Inspectors from the whole country will benefit of training sessions on proper usage of the equipment and will receive all technical support for one year.
The total budget of the “EU support to inclusive labour markets in the Republic of Moldova” project is EUR 2 million.
