Government leader calls for swift action to improve local government apparatus

In a significant step towards modernising its administrative system, Vietnam has embarked on a comprehensive two-tier administration reform. The initiative, spearheaded by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, has gained wide consensus under the leadership of Party General Secretary To Lam and the Politburo.

The reform, reviewed in a meeting held in Ha Noi on August 23, has already seen more than 94,000 officials leaving their posts, with over 50,000 receiving payments. This restructuring has led to the establishment of 465 specialised agencies under 34 provincial-level People's Committees and 9,916 offices under 3,321 commune-level committees.

Localities have completed the restructuring of provincial and communal-level People's Councils and People's Committees. The Ministry of Finance reported 16,124 surplus properties requiring handling, including 6,704 arising from restructuring.

Prime Minister Chinh emphasised the role of media in disseminating policies, highlighting effective models and innovations, while pointing out challenges and proposing solutions. He urged ministries to strengthen financial and budgetary support, invest in IT and digital infrastructure, and create mechanisms to mobilise resources.

The goal is to establish a single, modern, and interoperable system with shared standards and measurements. All systems must be unified, accurate, secure, and interoperable, with tools soon developed to measure performance across administrations.

The PM urged urgent actions to unify technologies, infrastructure, and platforms for handling commune-level administrative procedures. Public service centres have been set up in 32 localities, handling 4.4 million dossiers from July 1 to August 19, with nearly 75% submitted online.

The PM admitted difficulties are inevitable and instructed authorities to promptly resolve emerging issues, especially at the grassroots level. He noted that the model has proved stable and effective in clearing obstacles and meeting public expectations.

Legal frameworks must be further refined, staffing adjusted to meet real demand, and outstanding compensation and retirement payments must be completed no later than August 30. The PM directed preparations for the upcoming national conference to review the emulation movement to eliminate dilapidated houses on August 26 and the exhibition highlighting the nation's 80-year journey of independence, freedom, and happiness on August 28.

However, the 17 ministries and agencies responsible for administrative procedures and directed by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to ensure all systems are unified, accurate, secure, and interoperable are not explicitly listed in the available search results.

The PM instructed Deputy PMs, ministers, heads of agencies, and localities to proactively resolve issues within their authority and promptly report those beyond their mandate. The restructuring of administrative units is described as a "revolution" in organization. Despite the challenges, the PM remains optimistic about the reform's potential to streamline public services and improve governance in Vietnam.