'HCMC officials are not as rich as businessmen but their salaries must be enough to live on'

Being a civil servant in Ho Chi Minh City doesn't mean you can get rich like a businessman, but your salary must be enough to live on and allow you to work with peace of mind, according to Mr. Phan Van Mai.

"The city will implement policies to ensure that civil servants can earn a decent living and work with peace of mind," said Phan Van Mai, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, at a seminar on "Development Driving Force from Resolution 98" organized by Saigon Giai Phong newspaper on the morning of August 31.

Resolution 98, passed by the National Assembly on June 24th, grants the city several special policies. These include the authority to decide on the allocation of additional income for officials, civil servants, and employees, with the expenditure not exceeding 1.8 times their salary. Simultaneously, the city is also authorized to issue a resolution to attract experts, scientists , and outstanding students with more incentives than before.

Mr. Phan Van Mai speaks at the seminar on the morning of August 31st. Photo: Huyen Mai — Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai speaks at a seminar on the morning of August 31. Photo: *Huyen Mai*

Recently, the Department of Science and Technology proposed that the head of a public science and technology organization established by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee receive a salary of 60-120 million VND per month. In addition, the deputy head of a public science and technology organization would receive a remuneration of 50-100 million VND, heads of departments 40-80 million VND, and deputy heads of departments 30-60 million VND per month.

According to Mr. Mai, the city is developing a plan to build an effective and efficient public service system that serves the people and fosters development. In particular, the recruitment of civil servants and public employees in Ho Chi Minh City must have a specific mechanism to attract highly skilled, dedicated professionals who are willing to contribute to the city's development.

Officials of Thu Duc City People's Committee during working hours, August 2022. Photo: Quynh Tran — Officials of Thu Duc City People's Committee during working hours, August 2022. Photo: *Quynh Tran*

The city also plans to strengthen the Cadre Academy, develop existing training facilities, and establish international training partnerships to train personnel. The method is job-specific training; depending on the position and role, cadres must possess the expertise and skills to meet the needs.

"The locality will organize the selection of highly skilled professionals who are dedicated and eager to contribute to the city," Mr. Mai said, adding that the training of officials is linked to meeting requirements and fostering a readiness for change.

In addition, the head of the Ho Chi Minh City government said the city will develop a process for handling public administrative procedures, selecting pilot wards before expanding it to the entire city. "When implemented effectively, it will reduce the workload for local authorities by 15-30%, improving service efficiency and ensuring citizen satisfaction," Mr. Mai said.

Le Tuyet

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