Agree on the plan to reduce 8 ministries and agencies under the Government

On the afternoon of January 11, at the Government Headquarters, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Head of the Government Steering Committee on "summarizing the implementation of Resolution No. 18-NQ/TW of the 12th Central Committee on continuing to innovate and reorganize the political system to be streamlined and operate effectively and efficiently" chaired the 9th meeting of the Steering Committee. The Government Steering Committee agreed to submit to competent authorities a plan to reduce 8 ministries and agencies under the Government.

Also attending were Politburo members, Party Central Committee members, Deputy Prime Ministers, Government members, leaders of ministries, branches, Government agencies, and members of the Steering Committee.

The meeting focused on discussing draft reports prepared for submission to competent authorities on plans to reorganize and streamline the Government's apparatus based on the direction of the Politburo, the Central Steering Committee and the situation and progress of the implementation of Resolution 18; draft documents sent to ministries, branches and localities on a number of issues related to plans to reorganize and streamline the apparatus of agencies and a number of other important contents.

After listening to the reports, opinions and concluding remarks, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh highly appreciated the efforts in implementing the tasks and preparing the meeting of the Ministry of Home Affairs - the standing agency of the Steering Committee and relevant agencies in developing, supplementing and completing reports, proposing plans to implement the arrangement and streamlining of the apparatus according to the direction of competent authorities.

The Prime Minister stated that seriously implementing the direction of the Politburo and the Central Steering Committee, the meeting agreed on a plan to submit to the competent authority on the organizational structure of the Government, accordingly, it is expected that there will be 22 ministries and agencies, including 17 ministries and ministerial-level agencies (reducing 5 ministries and agencies) and 5 agencies under the Government (reducing 3 agencies). Along with that, the ministries and agencies will reduce many units at the level of general departments, departments, bureaus, offices, and public service units.

Regarding the number of focal points and internal organization of ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and agencies under the Government, the Prime Minister assigned Deputy Prime Ministers in each field to continue directing ministries, branches, and agencies to review and propose plans to ensure no overlap or omission of functions and tasks; only assign one agency to one task, and one agency to do many tasks. Agencies that have not achieved the target and targets for reducing internal focal points must redo the plan to achieve the target, ensuring that ministries that are not merged or consolidated reduce at least 15-20% of focal points, and ministries that are merged or consolidated reduce at least 35% or more.

The Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security have completed their tasks and objectives according to Resolution No. 05 of the Politburo on the organization of the People's Army and Resolution No. 12 of the Politburo on promoting the building of the People's Public Security force; it is necessary to continue reviewing and reporting to competent authorities on the arrangement of units and agencies according to the conclusions, policies and orientations of the Central Committee, the Politburo, the Central Steering Committee and the Steering Committee of the Government; the Ministry of Public Security continues to research, develop and complete the Project on the arrangement and streamlining of the local public security apparatus to operate effectively and efficiently.

The Prime Minister requested that agencies continue to urgently supplement and complete reports and plans to report to competent authorities, ensuring progress and quality; the spirit is to put national interests first and foremost; choose the most beneficial and best plan, assign work to whoever does the best; not to affect or interrupt and must do a better job in performing the functions and tasks of ministries, agencies and serving the work and activities of people and businesses.

The Prime Minister also emphasized the need to streamline the apparatus, reduce staffing associated with restructuring and improving the quality of cadres, civil servants and public employees; doing a good job of ideological work and policies for cadres, civil servants, public employees and workers to maintain solidarity and unity in agencies and retain and attract talented people, people who can do the job, have capacity, qualities and prestige.