Illustrative image (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - Agencies at all levels are planning to cut down over 4,000 of their officials, civil servants and public employees in 2019, raising the total staff reduction figure to about 44,510 people since 2015. The figure includes 5,500 governmental workers, and 39,000 civil servants.
The figures were released by the Ministry of Home Affairs at a meeting on January 15 in Hanoi to review the achievements of 2018 and set orientations for 2019.
According to Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Nguyen Trong Thua, in 2018, ministries, sectors, and localities have focused on reviewing, consolidating, and adjusting the functions and tasks of their subordinate units to ensure no overlaps; alongside drastically consolidating units under ministries and ministerial-level agencies. Localities have proactively reviewed and merged the units of similar functions in line with the spirit of the resolution ratified in the sixth session of the 12th Party Central Committee.
As of December 27, as many as 248 units under ministries or ministerial-level agencies were merged. The number excludes the merged-units under the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Public Security.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, as many as 40,500 officials, civil servants, public employees, and workers were cut down between 2015 and 2018, including 5,778 in 2015; 11,923 in 2016; 12,660 in 2017; and 10,139 in 2018. Of them, nearly 35,000 retired early, while 5,483 were made redundant.
Addressing the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh underlined challenges in the administrative system, adding that many agencies still lack efficiency with poorly-qualified staff.
He also spoke highly of public workforce reduction in 2018 and transparency in staff recruitment and promotion. The Ministry of Home Affairs has set a good example in applying information and communication technology to its operations to ensure an effective system, thus contributing to e-government development.
However, the deputy Prime Minister pointed out several shortcomings in the work, such as delays in issuing legal documents, a lack of staff performance evaluations, and incomprehensive supervision and monitoring.
He asked the Ministry of Home Affairs to address the issues, saying the ministry needs to ensure the feasibility of its work, while coming up with breakthrough solutions in line with Party resolutions, particularly in deploying temporary contract-based employment, thus attracting qualified personnel for public area and state-owned agencies.
Referring to administrative reform, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh asked the MoHA to actively coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies; advise the Government on how to build an effective administration, focusing on salary policies reform and quality of public services; review shortcomings and address the issues; and ensure proper recruitment and promotion.
“Relevant legal documents must be revised to enhance transparency in recruitment; the public workforce needs cutting down to the targets set; and comprehensive measures taken to improve the quality of public workforce, thus enhancing their performance and competence,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.
Minister of Home Affairs Le Vinh Tan acknowledged the tasks the ministry needs to complete in 2019, saying that it will advise the Government on effectively directing the implementation of the Government’s Resolution No.01/NQ-CP on the main tasks and solutions to implement the socio-economic development plan and state budget estimates for 2019.
According to Minister Tan, the Ministry of Home Affairs will further focus on institutional development and advising the Government on developing a proposal on organising training units in the political system, and strengthening discipline in the public administrative system according to the Prime Minister’s Directive No.26; reviewing the implementation of the Prime Minister’s Directive No.02 /CT-TTg on boosting public staff reduction, thus determining the responsibilities of the heads of localities and units in recruitment./.
