Completing the plan to reorganize specialized agencies under the People's Committees at provincial and district levels

On January 12, the Steering Committee on summarizing the implementation of Resolution No. 18-NQ/TW of the Government (Steering Committee) issued Official Dispatch No. 05/CV-BCĐTKNQ18 to the Provincial Party Committee, City Party Committee and People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities on supplementing and completing the plan to reorganize specialized agencies under the People's Committees at the provincial and district levels.

Accordingly, for specialized agencies under the provincial People's Committee, the Department of Finance will keep its name after merging the Department of Planning and Investment and the Department of Finance; the Department of Home Affairs will keep its name after merging the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs and the Department of Home Affairs.

The Department of Construction will retain its name after merging the Department of Transport and the Department of Construction. In case of implementing the plan to merge the Department of Planning and Architecture into the Department of Construction, the name of the Department of Construction will remain the same.

The Department of Science and Technology will retain its name after merging the Department of Information and Communications and the Department of Science and Technology.

The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism will keep its name after taking over the state management function of press and publishing from the Department of Information and Communications.

The Department of Ethnic Minorities and Religions will be established on the basis of the Ethnic Minorities Committee receiving additional functions, tasks, and organization of the state management apparatus on religion from the Department of Home Affairs.

Other departments and branches will continue to keep their names as directed in Official Dispatch No. 24/CV-BCĐTKNG18 dated December 18, 2024 of the Steering Committee, including the Department of Agriculture and Environment, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Health, Department of Education and Training, Department of Justice, Department of Industry and Trade, Provincial People's Committee Office, Provincial Inspectorate, Department of Tourism, Department of Planning and Architecture (for Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi), Department of Food Safety (established in provinces and centrally run cities according to the Resolution of the National Assembly on piloting a number of specific mechanisms and policies).

For specialized agencies under the district-level People's Committee, the Department of Home Affairs will retain its name after merging the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs and the Department of Home Affairs; the Department of Ethnic Minorities and Religions will be established on the basis of the Department of Ethnic Minorities receiving additional functions, tasks, and organization of the state management apparatus on religion from the Department of Home Affairs.

Other specialized departments will continue to keep their names as directed in Official Dispatch No. 24/CV-BCĐTKNG18 of the Steering Committee.

Regarding the transfer of functions, tasks, and organizational structure of a number of specialized agencies under the People's Committees at provincial and district levels, the functions, tasks, and organizational structure of state management of press and publishing will be transferred from the Department of Information and Communications to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The tasks and organization of the state management apparatus on poverty reduction will be transferred from the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs to the Department of Agriculture and Environment; at the district level, the tasks on poverty reduction will be transferred from the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs to the Department of Agriculture and Environment (or the Department of Natural Resources and Environment in the district).

The functions and tasks of state management of social protection, children, and prevention and control of social evils will be transferred from the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs to the Department of Health. The function of directing and managing the work of protecting and taking care of the health of provincial and municipal officials of the Provincial and Municipal Official Protection and Health Care Board will be transferred to the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Board, ensuring similarity with the arrangement at the Central level.

The provincial and municipal police will receive the following tasks: state management of drug addiction treatment and post-drug addiction treatment management from the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs; state management of criminal records and public service provision of criminal records from the Department of Justice; testing and issuance of road motor vehicle driving licenses from the Department of Transport; and state management of network information safety and security from the Department of Information and Communications.

The Steering Committee requested Party committees and organizations at all levels to lead and direct local agencies and units to complete the Project on Organizational Arrangement and Streamlining, along with a draft Decision stipulating the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of each agency, organization and unit, in accordance with the direction of the Central Committee, the Politburo, the Central Steering Committee and the orientation and suggestions of the Government Steering Committee.

Carefully prepare personnel plans, policies, headquarters, finances, assets, equipment, seals and other guaranteed conditions to submit to competent authorities for promulgation immediately after approval by the Central and National Assembly.

Accordingly, it is ensured that immediately after the closing of the National Assembly Session, the Provincial Party Committee and Provincial People's Committee will announce decisions on the organization of specialized agencies under the Provincial and District People's Committees to operate immediately, without legal gaps, continuously, effectively and efficiently.

Localities urgently complete the organization of specialized agencies under the People's Committees at provincial and district levels, ensuring synchronous operations with the completion of the organization and streamlining of the Government apparatus.

In the process of reorganizing the apparatus, agencies need to pay attention to doing well the political, ideological, regime and policy work for cadres, ensuring the maintenance and good implementation of regular work, especially during the Lunar New Year 2025.

Localities, based on the situation and characteristics of agencies, units and localities, shall proactively implement the arrangement according to their authority, while ensuring the common progress with the Central Government, and report to the Ministry of Home Affairs before February 25, 2025.