After the debate

Hoa sipped her coffee, her voice skeptical: "The so-called streamlining of the apparatus to improve effectiveness and efficiency sounds good, but many opinions say it's just cutting here and concentrating there."

Quan nodded in agreement, holding up his phone: “I’m reading an article on social media that says reform is just a formality, a matter of “changing the skin to keep the core”. Here, the article also claims that it is a way to legitimize the placement of relatives in new positions, then create the practice of buying and selling positions and power, making the apparatus even more chaotic.”

Illustration: Le Anh

Listening to his two friends, Thanh put down his beer glass on the table, looked straight at them with determination: “What you two think is short-sighted and baseless, but spreading it will unintentionally support distorted arguments. The revolution to streamline the apparatus is not a name change, and it is not a “change the shell to keep the core” as some people deliberately rumor. It is a difficult but very necessary process, laying the foundation for an apparatus that serves the people instead of operating cumbersomely and inefficiently.”

Thanh gave an example: “Right at the political school where I work, the streamlining of the apparatus has brought about clear changes. Previously, the activities of departments, faculties, and divisions sometimes overlapped; leaders and commanders had to attend meetings continuously, and documents had to go through several stages before reaching the person for processing. After the reorganization, some departments were merged, and tasks were reassigned in a direction that made people and jobs clear. At first, everyone was worried, afraid of staff reduction, afraid of change. But after only a few months, the results were obvious: There were fewer meetings, work went faster, students came to do procedures more conveniently, everyone was excited...”.

Quan still seemed concerned, asking: "Will streamlining cause many talented people who are not liked by their bosses to lose their jobs?"

Thanh replied: “There are clear criteria and regulations for approval, so how can it be done arbitrarily? It is true that there are cases of having to transfer jobs or retire early, but the majority are reassigned or trained to suit the new position. The consistent viewpoint of the Party and the State is not to abandon cadres, especially those with capacity and dedication. The rearrangement towards streamlining is to retain talented people, eliminating those who do not meet the requirements, especially those who only seek to profit from their positions.”

Hoa was still pensive, he raised the question: Why are there many articles online claiming that streamlining is "destroying tradition" and "clearing the way for privatization of the apparatus"?

Thanh said sternly: “That is a familiar trick of discontented, reactionary elements, implementing the strategy of " peaceful evolution". They deliberately distort and twist the truth to cause confusion and divide the people. If we are not alert, we can easily become accomplices to those who spread such false information.”

Thanh asserted that streamlining is to select and retain what is necessary, eliminate the excess, thereby operating more effectively. This is an inevitable trend in modern management and is suitable for the requirements of national development in the new era.

Quan did not say anything more, he quietly deleted the post he was about to share and thought to himself: If this post was shared to 20,000 members, it would be dangerous. Hoa nodded, thoughtful because she had a more objective view of the revolution to streamline the apparatus. The conversation ended, but the echoes of the truth of online information, of the spirit of vigilance and responsibility to protect what is right still quietly permeated each person.

DAO NGOC LAM