The government needs to be streamlined, people need convenience.

The topic of this morning’s coffee is the story of administrative unit mergers that has been hotly discussed on all forums in recent days. The administrative reform is taking place with great expectations. Merging provincial administrative units, eliminating district level, reducing commune level, and streamlining the apparatus are powerful solutions to improve management efficiency, save budget and modernize public administration.

This is a correct policy, in line with international trends, but like any major reform, success lies not only in the goals, but more importantly in the way of implementation.

How can the merger really help the apparatus operate more effectively? How can people feel more convenient in their daily lives? These are questions that the Party Committee, the government and the people are all concerned about.

It is undeniable that the current administrative apparatus is too cumbersome, with many intermediate levels, slowing down the decision-making process. Merging provinces and communes not only helps to streamline the apparatus and cut operating costs, but can also improve local management capacity by focusing resources on larger administrative units. If implemented properly, local governments will operate more effectively, more quickly, and serve the people better.

Looking around the world, many countries have successfully implemented lean government models. Singapore has only two levels of government: central and local, which helps optimize the apparatus, increase responsibility, prevent people from being “tortured” and reduce administrative costs.

Many European countries have merged small administrative regions into larger ones, creating conditions for more effective socio-economic development.

Vietnam is moving in that direction, but needs a sound implementation strategy to make the most of the reform's benefits.

The government can achieve the goal of streamlining the apparatus and saving the budget, but if it does not follow a good roadmap and thoroughly solve practical problems, the people will suffer, at least in the initial stage.

For any reform, the most important thing is that people see life and business better and more convenient. If the government does well, people will see administrative procedures simpler, faster, and less need to travel. These are great benefits that not only help people live and do business more conveniently but also help society develop.

But without careful preparation, they may have to travel further to get paperwork done, and face difficulties in accessing administrative services, especially in rural and mountainous areas.

This requires a strong e-government system where people can handle procedures online without having to come to the office.

If streamlining the apparatus is combined with strong digital transformation, people will feel that they are truly benefiting from a modern government, not facing more difficulties.

In addition, the arrangement of redundant staff also needs to be taken in a reasonable manner. When provinces and communes are merged and the district level is abolished, many officials and civil servants will lose their positions. If there is a reasonable retraining and job transfer policy, the government will receive higher consensus from the civil servants and public employees themselves.

Therefore, reform must start from improving operational capacity, not simply merging. If the government ensures that administrative services are more convenient, the apparatus operates more effectively, and staff are properly arranged, this will be a big step forward in modernizing and developing the Vietnamese administration sustainably.

People are hoping that good things in their lives will come from reforming the apparatus.