Public service discipline - new growth driver

At the regular Government meeting in June 2024 held on July 6, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that ministries, branches and localities need to make great efforts and determination with the spirit of defining "clearly the person, clearly the job, clearly the responsibility, clearly the implementation time, clearly the effectiveness, clearly the product" to have a basis for urging, inspecting, evaluating, rewarding and criticizing appropriately.

The Prime Minister proposed the motto of "6 clear" in management and operation when frankly acknowledging the existing problems and difficulties that have not been overcome in the past, such as "discipline and order are sometimes and in some places not strict; there is still a situation where cadres and civil servants are afraid of making mistakes, shirk responsibility, and avoid responsibility."

Exactly 6 months ago, on January 5, 2024, at the national online conference summarizing the work of 2023 and deploying the tasks of 2024 of the Government and local authorities, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh announced: The Government agreed on the management theme of 2024 as "Discipline, responsibility, proactiveness, acceleration of innovation, sustainable efficiency."

The “discipline-responsibility” aspect is well-founded. When the economy slowed down in the general context of the world being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the disruption of the supply chain, the Government identified investment, export and consumption as the three growth drivers of the economy to focus on solutions to remove bottlenecks.

One of the important solutions that has been and is being promoted is institutional reform, cutting administrative procedures, and creating a favorable business environment for people and businesses.

Many economic experts have even said that support for institutional reform and the business environment is even more important when fiscal and monetary solutions are almost out of space.

Therefore, the head of the Government has paid great attention and resolutely directed to consider "discipline-responsibility" as an internal growth driver of the management apparatus, thereby promoting socio-economic development.

The Prime Minister requested members of the Government, heads of Government agencies, and Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities to resolutely implement the conclusions of the Central Committee, resolutions of the National Assembly and the Government, and directions of the Prime Minister on key tasks and solutions to implement the Socio-Economic Development Plan; focus on directing and motivating all cadres, civil servants, public employees, and workers in the state administrative system to promote a sense of responsibility; strive to successfully implement the goals and tasks set by the Party and the National Assembly in 2024.

Nearly 3 months ago, on October 16, 2023, the Prime Minister signed Official Dispatch No. 968/CD-TTg requesting ministries, branches, and localities to continue to rectify and strengthen discipline and order in state administrative agencies at all levels.

Dispatch No. 968/CD-TTg was issued in the context that the Prime Minister had previously issued many directive documents on rectification and strengthening of responsibility in handling public affairs of ministries, agencies and localities and strictly implementing the Government's Working Regulations issued together with Decree No. 39/2022/ND-CP dated June 18, 2022 on the working regulations of ministries, agencies and localities.

However, according to the Government's conclusion, the situation of lax discipline, avoidance, shirking of responsibility, and fear of making mistakes when handling work by a number of cadres, civil servants, and public employees in a number of state administrative agencies at all levels has not been effectively overcome.

Regarding raising awareness of Party discipline, on May 9, 2024, the Politburo of the Central Executive Committee of the Party issued Regulation No. 144-QD/TW on revolutionary ethical standards of cadres and Party members in the new period.

One of the standards is: Raise the sense of organization and discipline. Speak and act in accordance with the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's policies and laws; comply with the regulations of the agency and unit; obey the assignment of the Party and the organization.

To tighten discipline and order in performing public duties, an important premise is to clearly define the responsibilities of each individual and department in a collective for specific assigned tasks, as well as criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of time and quality of work (clear people, clear work, clear responsibilities, clear implementation time, clear efficiency, clear products).

On April 23, 2024, the Politburo of the Central Executive Committee of the Party issued Regulation No. 142-QD/TW on piloting the delegation of authority and responsibility to leaders in personnel work.

This regulation defines the scope, subjects, principles, authority, and responsibilities of leaders in the pilot implementation of personnel work, including introducing personnel for election and appointment of deputies; electing additional members of the standing committee of the same-level Party Committee; appointing and dismissing subordinate leaders directly under their management authority.

On May 23, 2024, the Politburo continued to issue Regulation No. 148-QD/TW on the authority of leaders to temporarily suspend subordinate officials from work when necessary or when there are signs of serious violations of Party regulations and State laws. Regulation No. 148-QD/TW can be considered a continuation of Regulation No. 142-QD/TW.

One of the grounds for temporarily suspending an official from work when necessary is related to discipline: "Intentionally delaying, shirking responsibility, avoiding responsibility, not performing work within the authority according to assigned functions and tasks."

Regulation No. 142-QD/TW, Regulation No. 148-QD/TW together with Regulation No. 41-QD/TW dated November 3, 2021 of the Politburo are steps in the process of tightening discipline and order in the Party and State apparatus, as well as more closely linking the role and responsibility of the leader in the direction that the higher the position, the greater the responsibility.

The authority of the leader is expanded but the level of discipline is also stricter - dismissal, resignation according to Regulation No. 41-QD/TW in case of failure to fulfill responsibilities.

Vietnam has achieved many important results in the first 6 months of 2024, in which the GDP growth rate of the second quarter reached 6.93%, of the first 6 months of the year reached 6.42%, exceeding the set scenario, which is a high level in Southeast Asia and the world; the macro economy was maintained stable, inflation was controlled, major balances were ensured; social security and people's lives were improved...

Thus, the positive socio-economic results in the first 6 months of the year have demonstrated that the solutions on discipline have made important contributions and have been effective. However, we can achieve even higher socio-economic results if the limitations on discipline in the performance of public duties are further overcome.

Speaking at the regular Government meeting in June 2024, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh asked delegates to focus on analyzing in-depth the limitations and drawing lessons from experience in the work of administration and management, including the issue of discipline and order. The aim is to ensure that the country's socio-economic development in the second half of the year reaches a higher and more stable level than in the first half of the year, creating momentum for the completion of the 5-year socio-economic development plan (2021-2025).

Discipline creates unity in action and will of all members, which is the foundation for the development of society. Discipline in a broad sense is the law of the country. Discipline is the strength of a unit, a collective. The law of the country is the strength of a nation.