The total workforce will be reduced by approximately 20%.

Last week, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Head of the Government Steering Committee on "summarizing the implementation of Resolution No. 18-NQ/TW of the 12th Central Committee on continuing to innovate and reorganize the organizational structure of the political system to be streamlined, effective and efficient," chaired the 10th meeting of the Steering Committee.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh presides over the 10th session of the Steering Committee for Government Streamlining on January 13, 2025. (Photo: Duong Giang/VNA)

Excluding the reorganization of the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of National Defense, the government apparatus after restructuring is expected to have 22 ministries and agencies, including 17 ministries and ministerial-level agencies (a reduction of 5 ministries and agencies) and 5 government-affiliated agencies (a reduction of 3 agencies); a reduction of 13/13 general departments, 519 departments, 219 divisions, 3,303 sub-departments, and 203 public service units. The total number of personnel is expected to decrease by approximately 20%.

Regarding the reorganization of the inspection sector's apparatus, the Prime Minister requested an urgent review and completion of the plans to be submitted to the Politburo and the Central Steering Committee.

This week, the Government's Steering Committee for Administrative Reform held its 9th meeting to assess the results of administrative reform implementation in 2024 and discuss directions and tasks for 2025.

According to Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Cao Huy, the results of organizational restructuring in 63 provinces and cities have led to a further reduction of 12 sub-departments, offices, and equivalent organizations under the Provincial People's Committees; a reduction of 29 offices and equivalent organizations under the District People's Committees; and a cumulative reduction of 13 departments and equivalent organizations and 2,613 office-level and equivalent organizations at the local level.

The total number of personnel reduced according to the regulations in the Government Decrees is 16,149 people (of which 217 are in ministries and agencies, and 15,932 are in localities).

Building consensus, ensuring fairness, humanity, and harmony.

Bac Ninh is the first locality in the country to merge the Propaganda Department and the Mass Mobilization Department of the Provincial Party Committee, under the new name of the Bac Ninh Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department.

Similarly, this week, the Lam Dong Provincial Party Committee also announced the decision to merge the Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda Department and the Provincial Party Committee's Mass Mobilization Department. This is the first provincial-level unit among the Party and government agencies in Lam Dong province to undergo a merger.

To facilitate the restructuring of officials and civil servants in the "revolution" to streamline the administrative apparatus, hundreds of voluntary applications for early retirement have been submitted in Nghe An province. This demonstrates the pioneering and exemplary sacrifice of personal interests by officials and Party members in implementing the Party's major policy.

Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong, Director of the Nghe An Provincial Department of Tourism, said that in the near future, the Department of Culture and Sports and the Department of Tourism will merge into the Nghe An Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Therefore, he proactively requested early retirement to facilitate the organization and restructuring of the department.

Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong - Director of the Nghe An Department of Tourism. (Source: Nghe An Newspaper)

Studying the practices in several localities reveals that various levels and sectors have effectively carried out propaganda and ideological work among cadres and Party members. Initially, many cadres and civil servants had concerns. However, after being informed by the district and relevant departments, they unanimously supported the initiative, accepting the sacrifice of some personal interests to achieve the collective goal. This created consensus in the arrangement and placement of personnel, as well as the proactive and voluntary early retirement of cadres and civil servants.

Sharing his thoughts on streamlining the organizational structure, the Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Yen Bai province, Nong Viet Yen, said that officials, Party members, civil servants, and employees in the sector all agree with and strictly comply with the policy of streamlining the organizational structure in accordance with the directives of the Central Government and the Provincial Party Committee.

However, the implementation of this initiative faces challenges such as: the culture, sports, and tourism sector has a broad scope of management encompassing many specialized fields requiring high levels of expertise, making it difficult to recruit civil servants and officials with the right qualifications to replace those expected to retire or currently vacant but not yet filled. In the field of heritage management, due to the need to reduce the number of specialized departments, this responsibility is assigned to the Department of Culture and Family Management. Therefore, this department will have functions and responsibilities accounting for up to 50% of the Department's overall professional functions and responsibilities.

Some officials and civil servants who have decided to retire and receive benefits from January 1, 2025, are concerned about the regulations under Government Decree 29/2023/ND-CP dated June 3, 2023, which stipulates "on downsizing the workforce," stating that they are only entitled to a severance allowance equivalent to 3 months' salary for each year of early retirement.

Mr. Ha Xuan Khanh, Standing Committee member of the District Party Committee, Head of the Mass Mobilization Department and Chairman of the Fatherland Front Committee of Quan Son district (Thanh Hoa province), has submitted a request for early retirement three years before his scheduled retirement date. (Photo: VNA)

Meanwhile, according to Government Decree No. 178/2024/ND-CP, effective from January 1, 2025, the support scheme stipulates a subsidy of 5 months' salary for each year of early retirement. This needs to be studied by all levels to ensure fairness for all redundant officials and civil servants resulting from organizational restructuring.

Recently, the Da Nang City Department of Internal Affairs submitted a document to the City People's Committee proposing regulations and policies for managers and employees when dissolving the Da Nang General Publishing House One-Member Limited Liability Company (Da Nang Publishing House).

Specifically, among the company's employees, only 3 will receive support exceeding 10 million VND, 3 will receive support between 1 and 5 million VND, and 5 will not receive any support.

For employees of other units with similar salaries and social insurance benefits, when the organizational structure is reorganized according to Decree No. 178/2024/ND-CP, they will receive subsidies totaling approximately 41 times the original amount. Therefore, the Department of Internal Affairs reports to the Da Nang City People's Committee, requesting attention and direction to the Department of Finance to take the lead and coordinate with relevant agencies and units to study regulations on revenue and expenditure of state-owned enterprises to advise on appropriate financial support for employees. This aims to harmonize the implementation of policies and regulations for the target groups during the reorganization, avoiding comparisons and complaints; and at the same time, support redundant employees in finding new jobs after dissolution.

Finalize the plan for reorganizing specialized agencies under the People's Committees at the provincial and district levels.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh, Deputy Head of the Government Steering Committee for summarizing the implementation of Resolution No. 18-NQ/TW, has signed a document supplementing and finalizing the plan for reorganizing specialized agencies under the People's Committees at the provincial and district levels.

The Deputy Head of the Government Steering Committee requested that Party committees and organizations at all levels lead and direct local agencies and units to finalize the plan for restructuring and streamlining the organizational apparatus (including the draft decision stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of each agency, organization, and unit) in accordance with the directives of the Central Committee, the Politburo, the Central Steering Committee, and the orientation of the Government Steering Committee.

At the same time, carefully prepare plans for personnel, policies, headquarters, finances, assets, equipment, seals, and other necessary conditions to submit to the competent authority for issuance immediately after approval by the Central Committee and the National Assembly...

The Deputy Prime Minister requested that Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, and government agencies finalize plans for restructuring and streamlining the organizational apparatus of their ministries and sectors. Along with retaining the names of some ministries after mergers, based on the conclusions of the Politburo, the Government Steering Committee proposed further restructuring and streamlining the internal organization of some ministries and ministerial-level agencies.

During the process of reorganizing the administrative apparatus, agencies need to pay attention to doing a good job in political and ideological work, as well as policies and regulations for cadres, ensuring the maintenance and effective implementation of regular work, especially during the upcoming Lunar New Year of the Year of the Snake.

Presiding over the 10th session of the Government's Steering Committee on reviewing the implementation of Resolution No. 18-NQ/TW on January 13th, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized the need to continue doing a good job in ideological work and policies for cadres, civil servants, public employees, and workers to maintain unity and cohesion in agencies and to retain and attract talented, capable, and reputable individuals.

In recent days, information about the policy of merging and streamlining the administrative apparatus has been frequently mentioned in conversations among the people of Nuoc Mat village (Au Lau commune, Yen Bai city).

Ms. Luong Thi Dung (from Nuoc Mat village) said that after following news reports about streamlining the administrative apparatus, she has faith in the Politburo's major policy. According to her, downsizing the workforce will create opportunities for truly capable individuals and young people to develop. Mergers will create leverage for units to achieve remarkable growth. The lives of the people will be increasingly improved. Future generations will benefit from the fruits of this major policy.

According to VNA

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/tinh-gon-bo-may-cua-chinh-phu-tong-bien-che-giam-khoang-20-237416.htm