Ho Chi Minh City restructures its administrative apparatus to achieve breakthroughs.

Ho Chi Minh City aims for the new administrative apparatus to operate smoothly after the restructuring, providing better services to citizens and businesses.

In implementing Resolution 18-NQ/TW of the Central Committee on restructuring and streamlining the apparatus, the Executive Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, 11th term (2020-2025), unanimously approved the draft plan for restructuring the organizational apparatus of the city's political system.

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According to the draft plan, after the reorganization, at the city level, the number of specialized agencies advising and assisting the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee will be reduced from 6 to 5; the number of Party committees directly under the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee will be reduced from 51 to 27 (22 district-level Party committees, Thu Duc City Party committees and 5 higher-level grassroots Party committees); and the activities of 11 Party groups and 3 Party committees will be terminated.

Under the direct management of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, the number of specialized agencies has been reduced from 21 to 15 (including the Department of Tourism ), the number of administrative agencies has been reduced from 8 to 2, and the number of public service units has been reduced from 35 to 32. Ho Chi Minh City proposes to continue implementing the pilot project to establish the Department of Food Safety according to Resolution 98/2023/QH15 of the National Assembly; this department is not included in this restructuring.

At the district level and equivalent, after restructuring, one specialized agency advising and assisting the district-level Party Committee has been eliminated. The People's Committee of Thu Duc City has reduced its number of specialized departments from 16 to 14. Agencies and units under the People's Committees of districts and counties have reduced their number of specialized departments from 12 to 10.

Furthermore, each agency and unit within the city's political system is proactively reviewing and developing plans to streamline its organizational structure; striving to reduce internal units by 15% and implementing a personnel reduction roadmap as prescribed. The restructuring of Ho Chi Minh City's press agencies will follow a suitable model, adhering closely to Decision 362/2019/TTg of the Prime Minister on approving the plan for the development and management of the press until 2025 and the guiding principles of the Central Steering Committee and the Central Propaganda Department regarding the press system.

Ms. Van Thi Bach Tuyet, Head of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee's Organization Department, stated that the Standing Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee highly agreed with the Central Committee's viewpoints and directives, and determined that the Politburo's policy on summarizing Resolution 18 must be implemented with the highest political determination. Party committees, Party organizations, agencies, and units at the city and district/county levels, especially leading officials and heads of departments, need to be exemplary, proactive, and decisive in carrying out this task.

"Although urgent, the streamlining of the organizational structure needs to be carefully studied and its impact thoroughly assessed in order to arrive at the best possible solution," the Head of the Organization Department of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee observed.

Ho Chi Minh City has determined that it must retain talented individuals within its administrative apparatus after restructuring and streamlining personnel. (Photo: HOANG TRIEU)

Proactive, decisive, and urgent.

Ho Chi Minh City's determination to reorganize its administrative apparatus was affirmed when the city chose the theme for 2025 as "Focus on reorganizing the administrative apparatus to be lean, efficient, effective, and efficient; accelerate digital transformation; implement Resolution 98 of the National Assembly; and fundamentally resolve the city's outstanding issues and obstacles."

Ho Chi Minh City Party Secretary Nguyen Van Nen stated that in the past period, the Standing Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee closely followed the Central Committee's directives, working with a decisive, urgent, active, and focused spirit to complete the task of summarizing Resolution 18. During the implementation process, Ho Chi Minh City always adhered to the Central Committee's directives, while also boldly proposing recommendations appropriate to the city's specific characteristics.

"Ho Chi Minh City is strictly adhering to the Central Government's directives, implementing the principle of one agency performing multiple tasks, assigning only one agency to lead and take primary responsibility for each task, eliminating intermediate organizations and those with overlapping or redundant functions and responsibilities; resolutely streamlining internal structures and organizations; and assigning responsibility to the heads of each subordinate agency and unit to proactively review and develop plans for streamlining their internal structures and organizations," said Ho Chi Minh City Party Secretary Nguyen Van Nen.

The Party Secretary emphasized the need for restructuring to ensure the apparatus is truly lean, efficient, effective, and effective. After restructuring, it must be ensured that the new apparatus is better; it can operate immediately without leaving any areas or sectors vacant; and it operates smoothly to better serve the people and businesses.

"We must implement this with the utmost determination and revolutionary spirit, as General Secretary To Lam has directed. This means we must act proactively, with the Central Committee not waiting for the provincial level, the provincial level not waiting for the district level, and the district level not waiting for the grassroots; each level must take the initiative," Mr. Nguyen Van Nen noted.

Simultaneously, Ho Chi Minh City is also studying the issuance of policies regarding benefits for officials and civil servants affected by the restructuring and streamlining of the administrative apparatus. According to the City Party Secretary, the resolution of benefits must consider each case individually, ensuring fairness and reasonableness; the policies, once issued, must be comprehensive, practical, and meet requirements.

Internal restructuring, process review

Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai also directed that all departments, agencies, and localities, whether or not they are subject to restructuring, must carry out internal restructuring, review processes, and improve operational efficiency.

The agencies subject to restructuring must identify which regulations and legal documents the central government needs to amend to facilitate the operation of the new apparatus.

"The Minister of Justice has identified approximately 184 laws and over 200 legal documents that need to be amended to facilitate the restructuring. As those of us directly involved, we must study any amendments that are necessary," the Chairman of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City requested.

Associate Professor Phan Thanh Binh

Associate Professor Phan Thanh Binh, former member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, former member of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly:

Focus on unique characteristics

Ho Chi Minh City is a unique urban area. When restructuring its administration, consider these questions: How is food safety for the 10 million people of Ho Chi Minh City being managed? How should the cultural traditions, urban planning, and heritage of Ho Chi Minh City be preserved and promoted?

Therefore, during the restructuring process, we need to consider whether to retain, merge, or terminate the operations of any unit within Ho Chi Minh City, taking into account the unique characteristics of a very specific megacity: Saigon - Cholon - Gia Dinh - Ho Chi Minh City.

Dr. Tran Anh Tuan

Dr. Tran Anh Tuan, Member of Parliament, Party Secretary, and Head of the Business Management Innovation Board of Ho Chi Minh City:

Leveraging the flexible mechanisms of Resolution 98

In the process of reorganizing its administrative apparatus, Ho Chi Minh City needs to leverage the flexible mechanism from Resolution 98/2023/QH15 of the National Assembly. This resolution allows Ho Chi Minh City to transfer functions and tasks from one agency to another. This is a very flexible and important mechanism.

During the initial phase of organizational restructuring, a backlog of work is anticipated. Therefore, Ho Chi Minh City may transfer functions and tasks from one agency to another according to the mechanism of Resolution 98/2023 to promptly address and handle the work.

Ms. Pham Phuong Thao

Ms. Pham Phuong Thao, former Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee and former Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council:

Testing the capabilities of leaders

During the process of downsizing the workforce, Ho Chi Minh City should not apply a one-size-fits-all approach across all localities and units. The city needs policies to retain talented individuals with good qualities and capabilities within the state apparatus.

In downsizing the workforce, the most important factor is the quality and competence of the leaders and heads of departments. They must be objective, impartial, and accurately assess the capabilities of staff through work efficiency and output. This downsizing effort will test the competence of the leaders and heads of departments.

Dr. Nguyen Thi Thien Tri

Dr. Nguyen Thi Thien Tri, Ho Chi Minh City University of Law:

A special urban law is needed for Ho Chi Minh City.

For now, Ho Chi Minh City needs to focus on thoroughly implementing Resolution 18. In the near future, it is necessary to elevate the institutional framework of Ho Chi Minh City. Specifically, this means proposing more robust solutions for the city, rather than just remaining at the resolution level. This could include a Law on Special Urban Areas for Ho Chi Minh City.

Without this legal framework, Ho Chi Minh City's proposals would lack a cohesive mechanism and a systematic, in-depth approach. The Law on Special Urban Areas for Ho Chi Minh City will help the city address many more issues, not just the reorganization of its administrative apparatus.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/tp-hcm-tai-cau-truc-bo-may-de-but-pha-196241231185705994.htm