Brian Jeffrey
Vietnam’s government is initiating a major restructuring effort that will reduce its framework to 13 ministries, four ministerial agencies, and four connected organizations, effectively cutting five ministries, four agencies, and numerous internal entities.
In an interview with VietNamNet, Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra discussed the initiative, which aligns with the strategies laid out by the Central Steering Committee. This change will decrease the total number of government bodies from 30 to 21, thereby simplifying the organizational structure.
Key modifications in the government structure include:
The Ministry of Planning and Investment will merge with the Ministry of Finance to create the Ministry of Finance and Development (or the Ministry of Economic Development).
The Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Construction will join forces to form the Ministry of Infrastructure and Urban Development.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will combine with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, resulting in the Ministry of Agriculture, Resources, and Environment. This merger aims to tackle overlaps in managing water resources and biodiversity.
The Ministry of Information and Communications will integrate with the Ministry of Science and Technology.
The Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs will merge with the Ministry of Home Affairs to establish the Ministry of Interior and Labor. Key areas like vocational training will be reassigned to the Ministry of Education and Training, while responsibilities for social welfare and child protection will shift to the Ministry of Health.
Additional changes will see the Ministry of Health take on the functions of the Central Committee for Health Care and Protection. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will absorb the National Assembly’s External Relations Committee and the Central Committee for External Affairs.
The Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs will also take over the Government Committee for Religious Affairs and the anti-poverty responsibilities previously held by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs.
The overhaul will result in the reduction of 10 out of 13 general departments, alongside 52 departmental units and 75 internal offices. Approximately 264 divisions within general departments will be eliminated, achieving a significant cut of 15-20% in public administrative units.
Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra stressed the necessity of developing comprehensive policies to assist affected employees, ensuring fair treatment and addressing any psychological impacts on public servants.
Alongside these reforms, the government intends to streamline state media organizations. Television networks like People’s Television and National Assembly Television will consolidate operations under Vietnam Television (VTV), which will transform into a national broadcaster with specialized channels.
Other agencies, including the Vietnam News Agency and Voice of Vietnam, will downsize their internal departments, concentrating on their essential roles. Each ministry and agency will be permitted to maintain only one newspaper (across all formats) and one scientific journal based on international standards.
If implemented successful, this reformed government structure is expected to eliminate redundancies and enhance operational effectiveness. The reduction in governmental entities is aimed at modernizing Vietnam’s public administration and optimizing resource management.
Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra emphasized the importance of aligning workforce reductions with quality enhancements, ensuring that Vietnam’s public workforce adapts to the changing governance demands.
