Creating new development space

In early January 2025, there has been the Ceremony to announce Resolution 1285/NQ-UBTVQH15, dated November 14, 2024 of the National Assembly Standing Committee on the arrangement of commune-level administrative units in An Giang province in 2023 - 2025. This is an important event, marking a new step forward in the process of innovation and arrangement of administrative organizations, meeting the requirements of socio-economic development and improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the political system.

Specifically, the entire natural area of 1.39 km2 and population of 11,470 people of Dong Xuyen ward is merged into My Xuyen ward. After the merger, My Xuyen ward has a natural area of 2 km2 and a population of 23,383 people. After the arrangement, Long Xuyen city has 12 commune-level administrative units, including 10 wards and 2 communes. An Giang province has 155 commune-level administrative units, including 110 communes, 27 wards and 18 townships.

The implementation of the arrangement to commune-level administrative units is not only to carry out the major policies of the Party and the State, but also demonstrates the determination of An Giang province in the process of streamlining the apparatus and improving the quality of cadres, civil servants and public employees. Immediately after the conclusion of the Politburo, the resolution of the National Assembly and the Government, An Giang Provincial Party Committee established a Steering Committee; departments, branches and localities coordinated to develop projects and submit it to the competent authority for approval.

This work is very difficult, sensitive, complicated, and has a great impact on the organization and operation of the political system; the ideology and psychology of the cadres, civil servants, public employees, and workers. In that context, the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee, and Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee focused on leading, directing, coordinating, and mobilizing the participation of the entire political system, with a spirit of urgency and high responsibility; conducting it methodically, scientifically, and firmly step by step according to the order, procedures, and instructions of the Central ministries and branches; creating unity among cadres, party members, and the support and consensus of the people.

My Xuyen and Dong Xuyen are the only two commune-level localities in the province to reorganize administrative units. Thus, An Giang has completed the task under the direction of the Central Government. The merger is not a simple addition, but rather a multiplication of the combined strength of the Party's will - the people's heart, creating a new development space and new values. "The organizational structure of the new My Xuyen ward is basically stable; the personnel arrangement ensures the rights of cadres, civil servants, and non-professional workers of the two previous wards. Up to this point, all key cadres of the two wards have been arranged and assigned equivalent positions; the facilities meet the continuous operation of the new administrative unit" - Secretary of Long Xuyen City Party Committee Huynh Quoc Thai informed.

The process of operating the new apparatus has many advantages, but it is also predicted that there will be many difficulties and challenges. Therefore, the alternate member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of An Giang Provincial People's Committee Ho Van Mung requested departments, branches, and Long Xuyen City to continue to propagate, raise awareness, and create consensus among cadres, party members, civil servants, public employees, and all classes of people in the process of deployment and implementation. In particular, it is necessary to propagate and implement the conversion of documents for individuals and organizations (no fees or charges when converting due to changes in administrative boundaries); create the most favorable conditions in the fastest time during this process.

“The arrangement and consolidation of the organizational apparatus of units must ensure the principles of unity and synchronization, meeting the requirements of preparation for the Party Congresses at all levels for the 2025-2030 term and the election of People's Council delegates at all levels for the 2026-2031 term. The locality continues to review and advise on the arrangement, management and use of headquarters and public assets after the arrangement in accordance with regulations, economically, effectively and avoiding waste. With the spirit of solidarity and high unity of the entire political system, we believe that Long Xuyen City will successfully carry out the arrangement of commune-level administrative units, maintaining and preserving the stability for rapid, comprehensive and sustainable socio-economic development" - Comrade Ho Van Mung emphasized.

The new apparatus must be better than the previous one 

On January 06, 2025, the Provincial People's Committee issued Plan 05/KH-UBND on implementing the arrangement and streamlining of the apparatus of specialized agencies and affiliated public service units. Thereby, continuing to perfect the functions, tasks, powers and perfecting the organizational structure of agencies and affiliated public service units under the Provincial People's Committee to be streamlined, to achieve efficiency, effectiveness, performance, associated with restructuring and building a team of cadres with sufficient qualities, capacity and prestige to match the tasks; on the basis of rationally arranging the agency to perform multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary functions in accordance with the orientation set forth by the Central Government and the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee.

The Provincial People's Committee requests that in this phase, it is necessary to focus on propaganda, creating consensus and unity in the process of reorganization and proposing plans to perfect the apparatus. It is necessary to do a good job of political and ideological work for cadres, party members, civil servants, public employees and workers; promptly issue legal documents on policies and regimes when implementing the reorganization; develop a plan to fully prepare the necessary conditions to reorganize the apparatus, cadres, civil servants, public employees and workers when there is a decision from the competent authority. The new apparatus must be better than the previous one and put into operation immediately, without interrupting work, without leaving gaps in time, without leaving vacant areas and fields; without affecting the normal activities of the people...

The biggest principle is to rationally organize multi-sectoral and multi-field management agencies, "one agency performs many tasks", "one task is assigned to only one agency to preside over and take primary responsibility". It is necessary to review, arrange, and restructure the organization within agencies and units in a streamlined manner, reducing 15% of focal points (excluding departments and offices that must be merged or consolidated due to overlapping functions and tasks when merging departments and branches). The head of the agency or unit must be responsible for arranging and assigning cadres, civil servants, and public employees under their management and ensuring seriousness, caution, science, strictness, thoroughness, democracy, publicity, transparency, and suitability with functions, tasks, and job position projects. Basically, no branch level and equivalent level are established under departments, branches, and sectors (except for the Market Management Department under the Department of Industry and Trade). If it is really necessary to maintain or establish a branch level and equivalent directly under it, it must be reported to the Provincial Steering Committee and the Provincial Party Standing Committee for consideration and comments; the number of deputy heads of departments and offices of the agency and of each focal point at the new agency must be arranged within the prescribed time limit of 5 years.

Public service units that are not yet autonomous in regular expenditures or more shall be arranged according to the following principles: One unit can provide many public services of the same type, in order to significantly reduce the number of focal points, overcome overlaps, dispersion, and duplication of functions and tasks; restructure or dissolve ineffective units, improve the quality of providing basic and essential public services associated with restructuring and reducing civil servants receiving salaries from the State budget (reducing the number of press, culture, and information units; restructuring ineffective vocational training institutions, etc.); Implement the principle of "people follow the work", depending on the actual situation to arrange appropriately. The arrangement and assignment of cadres must be carried out seriously, carefully, scientifically, and strictly; ensuring impartiality, democracy, objectivity, publicity, transparency, with specific principles and criteria, suitable to the practical situation and requirements of each agency and unit. In particular, attention should be paid to arranging and using cadres with outstanding capacity, responsibility, and dedication to work, meeting the requirements of tasks in the new situation.

News by Gia Khanh

Translation by Thi Huynh