Brian Jeffrey
Restructuring and optimizing government departments is a key aspect of the governmental reorganization process.
The Government Steering Committee has outlined a strategic approach, urging ministries and ministerial agencies to develop plans aimed at achieving a more streamlined and efficient management structure. Overall, the current model of general departments under ministries will be phased out.
If any general departments must remain, ministries are required to report to the Government’s Steering Committee, which will consult with the Central Steering Committee for guidance.
According to Pham Thi Thanh Tra, the Minister of Home Affairs, the government intends to “largely eliminate general departments and similar entities,” proposing to cut down 12 out of the existing 13 general departments.
This initiative is not the first attempt at reorganizing the general departments.
Previously, there were two rounds of consolidation that led to a reduction of 25 general departments.
The Ministry of Public Security (MPS) was at the forefront of this movement, with a significant restructuring in August 2018. Under To Lam, who was the Minister at the time, the ministry declared the removal of six general departments, such as the Security General Department, Police General Department, and others.
Subsequent to this, MPS restructured several police commands into units equivalent to departments, thereby eliminating the general department tier entirely.
In a discussion with VietNamNet, Lam shared that many heads of general departments transitioned to become department heads post-restructuring and were satisfied with their new roles.
This positive reception was bolstered by the ministry’s efforts to organize discussions, gather feedback, and clarify the reasoning behind the restructuring, which helped build support for the changes. They also formulated fair policies for those impacted by the transition.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh commended MPS for their bold decision to eliminate eight general departments simultaneously while effectively maintaining their political responsibilities.
Post-restructuring at MPS, other ministries still retain 30 general departments needing reorganization.
However, progress on this front between 2018 and 2022 was minimal as departments were slow to act. In early 2022, under Chinh’s guidance, the Ministry of Home Affairs began pressing ministries to “eliminate general departments and trim down intermediary layers.”
Tra noted that the pace of restructuring lagged during this period due to various cited challenges from ministries. Although she recognized the difficulties, she emphasized the necessity of this work.
The second restructuring effort was set in motion, with Tra and her team at MHA working tirelessly to tackle complex challenges.
After 1.5 years focusing on the removal of general departments, by June 2023, the government had successfully reorganized units within ministries, cutting down 17 out of 30 general departments. Nevertheless, 13 general departments and similar units remain operational.
Among those eliminated, four were part of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, including the Vietnam Environment Administration and others.
Two other entities equivalent to general departments were transformed into departments within the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The Ministry of Transport dismantled the Vietnam Road Administration, resulting in the creation of Department for Roads of Vietnam and the Vietnam Expressway Authority.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development restructured four general departments into standard departments.
The Ministry of Science and Technology also underwent changes, transitioning their General Department of Standards, Measurement and Quality to the National Committee for Standards, Measurement and Quality, while dissolving the Hoa Lac Hi-tech Park Board of Management.
According to the Law on Government Organization, a ‘general department’ is a designation within a ministry’s structure, limited to four deputy heads. Currently, the remaining 13 general departments collectively hold 396 departments, while ministries and branches only have 141 departments.
