At the 13th conference of the Hanoi Party Committee held in mid-June 2023, one of the contents that delegates were interested in and spent a lot of time discussing was directly related to the responsibilities and tasks of each individual member of the Party Committee, as well as the staff in the city's political system. Specifically, at this conference, the Hanoi Party Committee spent time giving opinions on the draft Directive of the Hanoi Party Committee Standing Committee on "Strengthening discipline, order and responsibility in handling the work of Party committees at all levels, localities and units under Hanoi City".

Previously, at the end of April 2023, the Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee issued a directive to implement the Prime Minister's Official Dispatch on rectification and strengthening of responsibility in handling the work of cadres, agencies and localities. Accordingly, the Chairman of the City People's Committee requested the heads of departments, branches, sectors and localities to proactively and actively perform their duties and powers in accordance with the provisions of law. Decide on matters within their authority or are decentralized or authorized according to regulations. Take personal, direct and comprehensive responsibility before the City People's Committee and the Chairman of the City People's Committee in considering and deciding on matters within their authority or when assigned, authorized or assigned tasks by the City People's Committee or the Chairman of the City People's Committee, including those assigned or authorized to deputies.

In particular, the Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee assigned the Department of Home Affairs to advise the City People's Committee to direct the strengthening of inspection of public service activities, especially surprise inspections. Timely review, replace or transfer to other jobs for officials and civil servants with weak capacity, who do not dare to do, avoid, push away, lack responsibility, delay and do not meet the requirements of the work assigned by competent authorities.

People carry out administrative procedures at the People's Committee of Quoc Oai district, Hanoi city.

Explaining this policy and approach, Comrade Vu Duc Bao, Head of the Hanoi Party Committee's Organization Committee, said that Hanoi determined that discipline, order, and responsibility must be placed first. Over the past 3 years (2021-2023), Hanoi has selected and effectively implemented the annual working theme of "Discipline, responsibility, action, creativity, development". Thanks to that, the leadership capacity, fighting strength of the Party organization, the quality of the contingent of cadres and Party members continue to be improved; the effectiveness and efficiency of the political system's operations are enhanced. This is the main reason that helps the city overcome difficulties, overcome challenges, and achieve quite comprehensive results in all fields since the beginning of the 2020-2025 term up to now.

However, comrade Vu Duc Bao assessed that discipline and order in the city's political system still have some limitations. The implementation of leadership, direction and administration of the Party Committee and the government by some agencies, units and cadres, civil servants and public employees is not strict. Many tasks are not implemented resolutely, not on schedule, and the quality does not meet requirements. At times and in some places, discipline and order in the performance of public duties are not strict, and in some places, they are lax...

A number of cadres, civil servants and public employees have not met the job requirements according to their job positions; have the mentality of "backtracking", "if you don't do it, it's not wrong"; do not dare to advise or propose. Cadres do not even dare to decide on work contents under their authority; lack initiative in advising or give "roundabout" advice, do not clearly state their viewpoints... Some cadres, civil servants and public employees show signs of harassment, annoyance and negativity in handling the work of people, organizations and businesses.

One of the key contents in the draft Directive that received the agreement of the City Party Executive Committee is "Resolutely and promptly replace and transfer without waiting for the end of the term, the end of the appointment period, or the retirement age for cadres, civil servants, public employees, and leaders who do not meet the requirements of the task, have weak capacity, do not strictly comply with the direction and management of superiors, and show signs of causing trouble, harassment, avoidance, shirking, and fear of responsibility".

The viewpoint of the Standing Committee of the Hanoi Party Committee is that in order to strengthen discipline, order and responsibility in handling work, it is necessary to well implement the motto that urgent matters must be resolved immediately; major, difficult, complex and sensitive issues must be discussed thoroughly by the collective before making decisions; proactively forecast the situation, closely follow the grassroots, focus on prioritizing the resolution of outstanding, pressing and urgent matters arising from practice... In particular, promptly detect and strictly handle acts of harassment, annoyance and negativity; be determined to improve the level of satisfaction of people, organizations and businesses, considering this a "measure" to evaluate the effectiveness and quality of operations of agencies and units.

It can be seen that the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee submitting the draft Directive to the City Party Committee for comments is a positive innovation. Delegates said that the promulgated Directive will be a new step forward in personnel work; affirming the spirit of innovation in leadership methods of the Hanoi Party Committee, and is also a vivid example of the exemplary role of the Capital Party Committee in thoroughly grasping and implementing the resolutions, directives and regulations of the Central Committee.

Article and photos: KHAC KIEN