Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra: Building a comprehensive plan for salary reform

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra said that a comprehensive plan for reforming salary policy is currently being developed and implemented according to a reasonable roadmap, consistent with the payment capacity of the state budget.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra - Photo: GIA HAN

On the afternoon of October 29, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra provided explanations regarding the opinions raised by National Assembly deputies during the discussion session on the reorganization of the administrative apparatus and the implementation of the two-tiered local government model.

There is no shortage of commune-level officials and civil servants.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra stated that after four months of operation, the two-tiered local government model is basically stable, smooth, continuous, synchronized, and has been well-received by the people.

Many localities have adopted creative, flexible, and timely approaches to address emerging issues, resulting in very noticeable operational efficiency.

However, she pointed out that this is a new issue, unprecedented and requiring a complete shift in thinking and management methods, so difficulties and obstacles are inevitable, especially regarding awareness, changes in mindset, and working methods, which will take more time.

Looking ahead, the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized several solutions, with a strong focus on improving the institutional and policy system.

At its 9th session, the National Assembly enacted 34 laws, and this session will continue to consider 49 more laws, all related to the operation of the state administration.

At the same time, we will continue to refine fundamental issues regarding organizational structure, staffing, classification of administrative units, standards for administrative units, and related matters.

The second major issue, according to the Deputy Prime Minister, is building a team of officials, civil servants, and public employees who can meet the operational requirements of the two-tiered local government, especially at the commune level.

She pointed out that, indeed, in many places, the number of commune-level officials and civil servants is both excessive and insufficient, and some are not suited to their expertise.

However, based on data from 34 provinces and cities, there is no shortage of commune-level officials and civil servants, averaging 41.3%, and only 5.38% are not qualified for the position.

However, in practice, because it is a new issue, it cannot be immediately perfected. Therefore, in the coming time, the Ministry of Interior will be directed to finalize the job position framework, clearly defining job positions, especially at the commune level.

The conditions for establishing a legal basis for personnel allocation need to be finalized. The recent allocation of personnel across the entire political system at the commune level was only a temporary guideline. Going forward, the competent authority will allocate personnel for the 2026-2030 period.

"First and foremost, localities must proactively review, assess, structure, and consider ensuring sufficient personnel for the operation of commune-level governments. This is especially important for key positions such as finance, land administration, environment, information technology, construction, and justice..."

"Based on projections, it is possible to recruit or transfer civil servants from the provincial level. We have already issued guidelines on this matter," she emphasized.

She added that she would assign the Ministry of Interior to develop a plan for training and developing commune-level officials and civil servants until 2030 to proactively prepare for this scenario...

The scene at the meeting - Photo: GIA HAN

A comprehensive plan for reforming wage policies is currently being developed.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra said that they are focusing on finalizing the documents to report to the Politburo, as this will serve as the basis for determining the organizational structure of local governments, since it is currently only a temporary guideline.

Regarding staffing levels, the Deputy Prime Minister stated that they will work with the Central Organization Committee to compile a complete list of staffing levels for the entire political system. This will then be reported to the competent authorities for allocation of personnel.

Regarding decentralization, delegation of power, and delineation of authority, she said this is a major issue. Recently, in accordance with the Politburo's directives, the Government has been very decisive in implementing them.

The current rate of decentralization and delegation of power to localities is over 56% - a very high percentage. Of these, 949 tasks are directly assigned to localities for decentralization and delegation of power, including 870 at the provincial level and 79 at the commune level.

However, the commune level currently has 859 tasks under its jurisdiction, which are necessary to carry out the authority currently held by both the district and commune levels.

"We are focusing on reassessing the feasibility of decentralization and delegation of power. We hope that localities will pay attention and specifically point out any issues that are not feasible or appropriate."

"Because we are currently focusing on reviewing 30 decrees and circulars from various ministries on this issue, we hope that localities will pay close attention to its effective implementation. This is one of the main objectives of local government governance," she stated.

Regarding salary policy reform, the Deputy Prime Minister informed that the Politburo's Conclusion 83, as well as Conclusions 187 and 192, are being thoroughly implemented, and a comprehensive plan is currently being developed.

This is in line with the Central Policy and Strategy Committee's plan to review Resolution 27 and then report to the Central Committee in the first quarter of 2026.

From there, a specific plan should be developed to implement salary policy reform based on a suitable roadmap and steps, within the overall framework of state administrative reform, overall economic growth, the size of the economy, and the ability to pay benefits and policies for officials, civil servants, and public employees.

"This cannot be implemented immediately; it requires meticulous and cautious preparation, step by step, to ensure it is thorough and appropriate."

"At the same time, we must follow a reasonable roadmap that is consistent with the state budget's ability to pay," the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/pho-thu-tuong-pham-thi-thanh-tra-dang-xay-dung-de-an-tong-the-cai-cach-tien-luong-20251029154911881.htm