Reducing 16,149 civil servant and public employee positions when streamlining the apparatus

The Ministry of Home Affairs said that according to Conclusion No. 40-KL/TW of the Politburo (on improving the effectiveness of payroll management of the political system in the 2022-2026 period), Regulation No. 70-QD/TW of the Central Executive Committee (regulations on payroll management of the political system) and Decision No. 73-QD/TW (on payroll of ministries; ministerial-level agencies; agencies under the Government; organizations established by the Government and the Prime Minister; Vietnamese representative agencies abroad; public service units and mass organizations assigned tasks by the Party and the State at the Central level in the 2022-2026 period), there will be unification in management and by the end of 2026, the maximum payroll will be equal to the number approved by the Politburo, ensuring the roadmap for streamlining payroll for the 2022-2026 period.

Based on these regulations, the Ministry of Home Affairs reported to the Prime Minister the results of streamlining the payroll for the 2015-2023 period; reported to the Central Steering Committee on payroll management to submit to the Politburo for permission to transfer and supplement payroll in administrative agencies, organizations, and public service units. In the decisions on assigning payroll for the 5-year period (2022-2026) to agencies of the political system, a 5% reduction in the payroll of civil servants; a 10% reduction in the payroll of career positions receiving salaries from the state budget was implemented.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has assessed the number of employees receiving salaries from the state budget in public service units that are not financially autonomous in 29 ministries and sectors in the 2022-2026 period, reducing 17,736 positions, equivalent to a decrease of 14.84% compared to the number of positions assigned in 2021.

Implementing the Prime Minister's direction, the Ministry of Home Affairs has guided ministries, branches and localities to implement the policy of streamlining the number of civil servants and reducing the number of public employees receiving salaries from the state budget in conjunction with approving job positions and restructuring, improving the quality of the team of cadres, civil servants and public employees, streamlining the organizational apparatus, and improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the political system.

As of October 30, 2024, the number of civil servants and public employees of ministries, branches and localities has been reduced according to the provisions of the Government's Decrees by 16,149 people (of which ministries and branches have 217 people, localities have 15,932 people).

Ministries, branches and localities have basically used the assigned number of staff, not exceeding the number of staff approved by competent authorities, proactively developed plans to implement the roadmap for streamlining staff in conjunction with restructuring and improving the quality of the staff, civil servants and public employees according to job positions.

Implementing the Plan of the Central Steering Committee on summarizing the implementation of Resolution No. 18-NQ/TW of the 6th Central Conference, the 12th tenure, the Ministry of Home Affairs has presided over and coordinated with relevant ministries and branches, especially agencies subject to consolidation, transfer of functions, tasks, and organizational apparatus according to the Central's orientation, to urgently develop projects and regulations related to the arrangement of ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and agencies under the Government to ensure streamlining, efficiency, effectiveness, and efficiency, and report to the Government Steering Committee for comments and the Politburo before December 31, 2024.

The Ministry of Home Affairs also proactively and promptly guides localities to streamline the advisory agencies under the People's Committees at the provincial and district levels in order to ensure unified direction in performing state management tasks from the central to local levels; actively propose outstanding and strong mechanisms and policies for cadres, civil servants, public employees and workers as a basis for streamlining the apparatus, linking staff reduction with restructuring and improving the quality of cadres, civil servants and public employees.

This is a very large, complicated and sensitive amount of work, but with the consensus in perception and strict implementation of the Party's policies and the Government's direction, up to now, the projects have been basically completed to report to the Government to submit to the Politburo and the Central Steering Committee.

Thereby, creating an important premise and legal basis for the arrangement and reduction of the number of ministries, departments, divisions and the streamlined internal organizational structure according to the requirements of Resolution No. 18-NQ/TW; overcoming the situation of duplication, overlap, omission or unclear functions, tasks, management areas and meeting the principles and criteria for establishing organizations according to the Party's policies and legal regulations; at the same time, focusing on building the draft Law on Government Organization (amended) to submit to competent authorities as planned.

Results of the organizational structure arrangement (as of October 30, 2024), in 63 provinces and cities, 12 branches, departments and equivalents of specialized agencies under the provincial People's Committees were continued to be reduced; 29 departments and equivalents of district People's Committees were reduced, cumulatively to date, 13 departments and equivalents were reduced; 2,613 departments and equivalents at the local level were reduced.

However, according to the assessment of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the awareness and responsibility of some ministries, branches, and localities, especially the leaders, are not really complete and profound, and are not resolute in leading and directing the organization and implementation of apparatus arrangement and staff streamlining.

The work of arranging and perfecting the organization of the state administrative apparatus to be streamlined, operate effectively and efficiently, reduce focal points and intermediate levels is difficult, affecting the interests of organizations and individuals. This is a very complicated and sensitive task, so some agencies and units have not been proactive and determined in directing the implementation. The coordination between some ministries and branches in advising and promulgating legal regulations on the organization and operation of public service units has not been effective.