Minister of Public Security proposes 6 more positions to be promoted to general rank

On the morning of May 27, at the National Assembly , authorized by the Prime Minister, General To Lam, Minister of Public Security, presented a report on the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on People's Public Security (CAND).

Regarding the need to amend the law, Minister of Public Security To Lam said that after 4 years of being in effect, the Law on Public Security has revealed a number of problems, so it is necessary to amend and supplement a number of regulations. Currently, the maximum service age for officers, non-commissioned officers, and public security workers stipulated in the 2018 Law on Public Security ensures a correlation with the regulations on retirement age of employees in the 2012 Labor Code.

The 2012 Labor Code has been replaced by the 2019 Labor Code. Meanwhile, the Labor Code is considered the “original law” on retirement age for workers in general. Therefore, the Minister of Public Security affirmed that it is necessary to amend the Law on Public Security accordingly.

Add 6 general rank positions

Regarding the regulations on the highest rank for positions and titles of Public Security officers, the current Law stipulates that 199 positions have the highest rank of general (including 1 General, 6 Senior Lieutenant Generals, 35 Lieutenant Generals, 157 Major Generals).

In this draft law, the Government added regulations for 6 positions with the highest rank being General, which are: 1 position with the highest rank being Senior Lieutenant General and 5 positions with the highest rank being Major General.

Minister of Public Security To Lam presented the report.

Presenting the review, Chairman of the National Defense and Security Committee Le Tan Toi said that the majority of opinions agreed with this proposal and believed that the addition would not exceed the number of general positions in the People's Public Security as prescribed by the Politburo, in accordance with practical work needs and the new organizational structure of the Ministry of Public Security.

Some opinions suggested studying and adding a position with the highest rank of General for police officers on secondment when assigned by the Party and elected by the National Assembly to hold the position of Vice Chairman of the National Assembly. The National Defense and Security Committee suggested that the drafting agency study and propose appropriate acceptance.

According to the plan submitted by the Minister of Public Security, an additional position with the highest rank of Senior Lieutenant General is assigned to a Public Security officer seconded to hold the position of Chairman of the National Assembly's Defense and Security Committee.

Currently, the Ministry of Public Security has a Deputy Minister (with the highest rank of Senior Lieutenant General) seconded to this position and approved. The Chairman of the National Defense and Security Committee is also equivalent to the position of Minister and is included in the Central Executive Committee. Therefore, the addition of this regulation, according to the Minister of Public Security, is appropriate.

Five positions with the highest rank of Major General were also added in the bill submitted to the National Assembly. Accordingly, instead of stipulating that there are 157 positions with the highest rank of Major General, the draft Law stipulates that there are 162 positions with the highest rank of Major General.

These 5 positions include: Principal of the People's Police University; Principal of the People's Security University; 1 Assistant to Politburo member and Minister of Public Security; 2 Deputy Director positions at units under the Ministry of Public Security.

Chairman of the National Defense and Security Committee Le Tan Toi said that the majority of opinions agreed with the addition of these 5 positions. However, there were opinions suggesting a full and comprehensive assessment, ensuring the correlation of the highest ranks and the hierarchy of command in the People's Public Security, especially the 2 Deputy Director positions at units under the Ministry of Public Security.

The draft law also stipulates that the Chief of City Police of a city directly under the Central Government and the Regiment Commander have the highest rank of Colonel.

Currently, the highest rank of a Regiment Commander in the People's Public Security is Lieutenant Colonel. However, in response to the requirements for State management of security, order, and the fight against crime in the current situation, the Ministry of Public Security has reported to competent authorities and established a number of Regiments under the Guard Command, the Mobile Police Command, and the Local Police, which are organized and perform a number of State management functions on security and order.

Therefore, Minister To Lam proposed that amending the regulation that the highest rank of a Regiment Commander is Colonel is appropriate.

Regarding the City Police under the Central City, this is a unit equivalent to the District Police of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, so the Minister of Public Security considers this regulation appropriate.

Proposal to raise retirement age for officers

The draft law also stipulates that police officers who are considered for promotion from Colonel to Major General must have at least 3 years of service remaining. In cases where they do not have 3 years of service remaining, the President will decide.

The National Defense and Security Committee agrees with this regulation and assesses that this will take advantage of the intelligence and experience of officers promoted to the rank, ensuring the next leadership and command time of the promoted rank.

The Standing Committee of the Social Affairs Committee and the Standing Committee of the Culture and Education Committee proposed to supplement regulations on the minimum working time to be awarded and promoted from Colonel to Major General in cases where the working time is less than 3 years as decided by the President to ensure strictness and feasibility.

Agree to increase the service age of the People's Public Security force.

Regarding the service age of police officers and non-commissioned officers, Minister To Lam said that this regulation has been amended to increase the maximum service age of police workers (men increase by 2 years, women increase by 5 years); increase by 2 years for officers and non-commissioned officers.

Female officers with the rank of Colonel will have their age increased by 5 years, female officers with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel will have their age increased by 3 years; female officers with the rank of General will keep the current age of 60 years.

The age increase schedule is 3 months per year for men and 4 months for women. For officers and non-commissioned officers with the highest service age limit under 60 years old for men and under 55 years old for women, the age increase is 2 years immediately, not following the above schedule.

The review agency agreed with this regulation, but some opinions said that raising the maximum service age for female Lieutenant Colonels to 3 years and female Colonels to 5 years is a significant increase, while most other ranks are increased by 2 years to suit the special working environment of the People's Public Security force and the needs of the majority of female People's Public Security officers.

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