Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic stated on Friday that the government will have 17 ministries after the announced reshuffle has been carried out and added that the names of ministers would be released by Monday.

Cvetkovic said that the bill of amendments to the Law on Ministers will be included in the agenda for the Monday parliament sitting.

The tasks related to the government reshuffle are being carried out excellently, revision of personnel issues is currently underway and competent bodies are looking for adequate personnel solutions in certain departments, Cvetkovic told reporters at the ceremony at which the Belgrade-based daily Blic delivered an award to the most successful entrepreneur.

He said that according to the law, he is obliged to propose new ministers by Tuesday, March 8, who would replace the three ministers who handed in their resignations.

One of the ministries will need to be abolished and the competent body is supposed to propose which of these three departments should be closed, the prime minister said and pointed out that legal framework needs to be respected.

This is why these propositions will be purely formal ones, Cvetkovic said.

He noted that in keeping with legislations and required dynamics, the bill of amendments to the Law on Ministries would be submitted to the parliament early on Monday, February 7, together with some smaller changes to the Law on the Government, which constitute the prerequisites of any government reshuffle.

Cvetkovic said that the names of new ministers would be released by Monday.