Proposal to increase basic salary from January 1, 2026

VTV.vn - National Assembly delegates proposed to consider adjusting the basic salary increase from January 1, 2026 - not waiting until mid-year like previous periods.

It is necessary to soon have a suitable salary mechanism to encourage commune-level civil servants.

On the morning of October 29, the National Assembly discussed and evaluated the results of the implementation of the 2025 socio- economic development plan and the draft socio-economic development plan for 2026.

At the National Assembly, delegate Duong Van Phuoc ( Da Nang delegation) affirmed that the 2021-2025 period was a very successful term with many outstanding, superior and comprehensive results.

Mr. Phuoc emphasized that we have overcome unprecedented challenges and achieved very important feats, creating a solid foundation for growth momentum in the new development stage.

However, the delegate also pointed out that the staff has not been arranged in a uniform and professional manner. Many staff have had to "shoulder" the work of 4-5 previous district-level professional departments even though they do not have in-depth expertise and have not been trained in timely professional skills. The establishment of the staffing level has not taken into account the specific factors of the region, leading to a situation where some places have excess staff and some places have serious shortages of staff.

Delegate Duong Van Phuoc (Da Nang delegation)

"Many communes in mountainous, border and island areas are lacking from 7 to 14 officials, making it difficult to undertake assigned tasks," the delegate emphasized.

While the workload of commune-level officials and civil servants has increased 2-3 times, the remuneration policy has not changed, is still very low, and is not enough to motivate and encourage them to work with peace of mind and contribute.

From the above analysis, delegate Duong Van Phuoc suggested that the Ministry of Home Affairs should soon conduct a field survey to establish job positions and a minimum staffing framework to serve as a basis for staffing at the commune level. Advise the Government to soon issue appropriate salary mechanisms to encourage commune-level officials and civil servants to work with peace of mind and attract officials to work in difficult areas.

Improving the lives of cadres is improving the quality of the apparatus.

Also talking about the issue of salary policy and living standards of cadres, civil servants and public employees, delegate Tran Quoc Tuan (Vinh Long delegation) said that after nearly 4 months since officially implementing the two-level local government model, our administrative apparatus has become "lighter" in terms of focal points, but "heavier" in terms of work.

“Civil servants in many localities, especially at the grassroots level, have to work further and do more work, but their income is still… not better,” said Mr. Tuan.

Delegate Tuan said that according to the summary report of voters' recommendations sent to this Session, voters in many localities such as Quang Tri, Binh Thuan, Vinh Long reflected: after the merger of administrative units, many commune officials had to travel further, in some places from 10 to 15 km to reach the new headquarters, while travel allowances and public service allowances have not been adjusted.

Voters in Nghe An, Lam Dong, and Dong Thap provinces asked the Government to have policies to support and encourage officials in the merged regions, because life is difficult, travel, housing, and living expenses increase, causing real income to decrease by 10-12% compared to before.

Many localities such as Bac Kan, Can Tho and some provinces in the Mekong Delta also reflect the situation that grassroots cadres are having to shoulder more work due to streamlining the payroll, but their income has not improved, affecting their psychology, motivation and work efficiency.

Delegate Tran Quoc Tuan (Vinh Long delegation)

The delegate also pointed out that the prices of many essential goods such as food, housing, electricity, water, tuition, gasoline and rent have all increased, causing great pressure on people's lives.

Meanwhile, the basic salary of 2.34 million VND/month has been applied since July 1, 2024, and compared with the current cost of living, it is clearly no longer suitable.

On average, the minimum living expenses alone (food, transportation, electricity and water bills, children's tuition) in urban areas exceed 4.5-5 million VND/person/month.

With a base salary of 2.34 million, even if multiplied by a higher coefficient, the actual income of many young civil servants is only enough... "from the beginning of the month to the 20th day", and for the last 10 days of the month, they have to "run on faith and instant noodles".

"We all agree that improving the lives of officials means improving the quality of the apparatus. Therefore, I earnestly recommend that the National Assembly and the Government consider adjusting the basic salary increase from January 1, 2026 - not waiting until mid-year like in previous periods," said the delegate.

According to the delegate, this is not just a “salary story”, but a message from the people, a common heartbeat of the apparatus that needs to be invigorated. Only when officials have enough to live on can they feel secure in serving; only when civil servants are not burdened with food, clothing, and money can they feel free to contribute.

Source: https://vtv.vn/de-nghi-tang-luong-co-so-tu-1-1-2026-100251029094328592.htm