Combating waste of public resources in the restructuring and streamlining of the administrative apparatus.

After three months of operating the two-tiered local government model, the administrative apparatus in provinces and cities nationwide has basically stabilized. The process of restructuring, streamlining the apparatus, and reducing the workforce continues into a new phase; however, a very important issue is preventing the waste of public resources resulting from this restructuring and streamlining.

Báo Tin Tức•04/10/2025

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Officials and civil servants in An Lac ward ( Ho Chi Minh City) adhere to the motto "work until the job is done, not until the clock runs out" in serving the people and businesses. Photo: Trung Tuyen/TTXVN

Human resource stability
Preliminary statistics show that by the end of August 2025, approximately 100,000 officials, civil servants, and public employees will leave their jobs as a result of the reorganization of administrative units at all levels and the establishment of a two-tiered local government model nationwide. The Ministry of Interior stated that ministries, sectors, and localities are currently urgently addressing the entitlements and policies in accordance with Government Decrees 178/2024/ND-CP and 67/2025/ND-CP.
Provinces and cities are also required to continue operating the two-tiered local government model stably; consolidate specialized agencies at the provincial and commune levels; promptly and efficiently handle administrative procedures for citizens and businesses; and conduct a comprehensive review, assessment, classification, restructuring, and improvement of the quality of commune-level officials and civil servants after three months of operation; proactively adjust and supplement officials, civil servants, and public employees within the locality in cases or areas where there is a surplus or shortage.
The imbalance between surplus and shortage of commune-level officials and civil servants is a reality in many localities. An Lac Ward (formed by merging three wards: An Lac, An Lac A, and Binh Tri Dong B of the former Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City) has basically stabilized its operations under the new model. Mr. Le Sa Lin, Head of the Party Building Committee of An Lac Ward, said that the ward's officials and civil servants generally meet the requirements. However, the locality still lacks officials and civil servants in some specialized fields such as land, planning, investment, and finance. The ward has requested the city to increase the number of specialized personnel in these fields to support the locality.
Strengthening human resources at the commune level to meet assigned tasks, especially in highly specialized fields, is an urgent requirement. This ensures the right person is used for the right job, overcoming the problem of surplus and shortage, and preventing mass resignations. This will help retain competent officials and civil servants, contributing to the stability of the workforce for the administrative apparatus. Dr. Vu Thi Mai Oanh (Ho Chi Minh City Academy of Cadres) emphasized the importance of rational personnel management, avoiding brain drain and the waste of human resources in streamlining the administrative apparatus: “Wasting talent is a serious problem; talent is needed in every era, but failing to value, create favorable conditions, and provide the right environment to attract and utilize them effectively for national development is a worrying form of intellectual waste.”

Assessing the role of human resources in the public sector in research, planning, and policy implementation, as well as lawmaking and policy adjustments to suit practical realities, Dr. Ngo Tuan Phuong (Ho Chi Minh City University of Law) and Dr. Ngo Thi Kim Lien (Ho Chi Minh City University of Banking) both argue that attracting and developing high-quality human resources is an essential solution to strengthen the effectiveness of state management and create breakthroughs in development.
Therefore, experts emphasize that reviewing, evaluating, and improving mechanisms and policies for attracting and utilizing talent in the public sector is an urgent task, contributing to building a streamlined, efficient, and effective administrative apparatus that meets the requirements of socio-economic development in the new era. In the context of the entire political system preparing for the 14th National Congress of the Party and the elections for the 16th National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels for the 2026-2031 term, the need to stabilize and improve the quality of the cadre becomes even more urgent.
Transforming surplus public assets into development resources.

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The former headquarters of Con Dao District, Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province, now known as Con Dao Special Zone, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Hoang Nhi/TTXVN

Along with continuing to maintain the stability of the administrative apparatus, localities are simultaneously accelerating the implementation of an equally important task: handling the large volume of surplus public assets following the reorganization of administrative units. According to the Ministry of Finance, by the end of 2024, more than 11,000 public land and buildings nationwide had not been effectively managed, with many structures being occupied or deteriorating. The abolition of district-level administrations and the merger of wards and communes have significantly increased the amount of surplus assets. According to statistics, out of more than 38,000 public offices in 52 provinces and cities that have been reorganized (excluding 11 localities that remained unchanged), as many as 4,226 are surplus.
Therefore, addressing surplus public assets is not only an urgent requirement but also a strategic task for localities to restructure material resources, serve socio-economic development goals, and transform surplus public assets into sustainable development resources. According to experts, waste in public asset management is not simply a technical issue, but an indicator of governance competence and institutional coordination capacity.
“When public assets are left idle and not used for their intended purpose, it is not only a material loss, but also an erosion of trust in the fairness of resource allocation. Therefore, along with streamlining the apparatus, urgently and effectively handling public assets is a breakthrough to realize the Party's policy of building an honest, efficient, democratic, and sustainably developing state in the "Era of National Struggle," Dr. Tran Hoang Khai (Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Committee of Vinh Hau Commune, Ca Mau Province), and his colleagues presented at the national conference on combating waste, organized by the Ho Chi Minh City University of Law in September 2025.
Currently, several provinces and cities have implemented specific plans for handling surplus public assets. The Vinh Long Provincial Party Committee has requested wards and communes to review the actual needs for office space in their areas to develop appropriate plans for converting surplus office buildings, prioritizing their use as schools to serve the community effectively. The Dong Nai Provincial Department of Finance stated that the province has proactively arranged and allocated surplus office space for use as offices for provincial and central government agencies and units located in the province, in accordance with regulations; at the same time, it is reviewing the need to convert the function of office buildings to serve as medical facilities, educational institutions, or other public purposes for commune-level governments.
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Finance announced that the city has issued a plan to handle surplus public assets with the goal of "preventing loss and waste." Accordingly, for buildings exceeding the standard area, the surplus will be reallocated, used jointly, or repurposed, prioritizing the education, healthcare, and socio-cultural sectors. For vacant or unused assets, the City will entrust the Land Fund Development Center with their management and exploitation. The Department of Finance recently proposed allocating the former headquarters of the Ba Ria - Vung Tau Provincial Administrative and Political Center to several universities for use as educational facilities.
Practical implementation shows that many localities have proactively converted the functions of surplus office buildings after restructuring and streamlining the administrative apparatus. This strategy avoids wasting public assets, saves on new public investment costs, and improves the efficiency of public services. From a modern governance perspective, this is a manifestation of a process of transforming public assets from an "accounting burden" into a "development resource." However, experts also believe that despite institutional directives from the central government, the conversion of functions in many localities is still slow, and there is no effective mechanism for handling surplus assets due to a lack of renovation budget, a lack of coordinated guidance, and especially due to the reluctance of leaders to take responsibility.
"We need to avoid situations where public land is left idle and public assets deteriorate due to improper use. Strict resource management not only helps save resources but also creates conditions for sustainable socio-economic development," emphasized Dr. Nguyen Thi Tuong Duy (Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade).

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/chong-lang-phi-nguon-luc-cong-trong-sap-xep-va-tinh-gon-bo-may-20251004074122807.htm