Commune officials will become… “the elite”.

The revolution to streamline the Party and State apparatus is entering a crucial stage, focusing on reorganizing commune-level administrative units and eventually abolishing the district level. This is a particularly important step in the administrative reform process, helping to streamline the apparatus, improve management efficiency, and bring the government closer to the people.

However, for this policy to be truly effective and bring practical benefits, thorough preparation is needed, especially in improving the capacity of commune-level officials who are both politically sound and professionally competent.

"Each commune is practically a small district."

The model of local government in the near future will be reorganized into two levels: provincial and commune (grassroots level). This means that the district level will be abolished. Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra stated that the country currently has 10,035 commune-level units and will be reorganized to only about 2,000 communes. With the current national population of approximately 100 million people, if reorganized into 2,000 communes, each commune would have about 50,000 people. Therefore, "each commune would be almost like a miniature district."

A corner of Hong Thai commune, Bac Binh district.

The cessation of district-level operations means that decentralization and delegation of power at the commune level will be stronger, along with a "reverse" decentralization of some district-level tasks to the provincial level. According to the Government , about one-third of district-level tasks will be transferred to the province and two-thirds will be transferred to the commune level.

Many experts have analyzed that, in the three-tiered government model, the commune level is the closest to the people. Although it understands the actual needs of the locality and its people, it lacks the necessary autonomy. Conversely, the district level is responsible for determining planning and development, but it does not grasp the specific needs of each commune. This process remains fragmented, perfunctory, and ineffective. By abolishing the district level and merging communes, the commune-level government will have more authority and the power to independently decide on many new procedures, no longer being passive; meaning that people will not have to wait too long to have their affairs resolved. At this point, the commune level, acting as a "production fortress" and "main fighting force," will become the starting point for development programs, from small infrastructure projects to large-scale programs, implemented practically and promptly. The commune-level government will directly handle many administrative procedures for citizens, without having to wait for the district level. From this, people will enjoy many benefits such as saving time and costs. This will also minimize the current situation of "passing the buck" to the district level.

Mr. Phan Van Dang - Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee (far right) inspects the facility.

Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra stated: The process of organizing two levels of local government is being implemented very urgently with the spirit of "running and queuing at the same time." It is expected that the entire rearrangement of commune-level administrative units will be completed before June 30th so that by July 1st, these units will be operating under the new organizational structure.

In implementing Conclusion 127 of the Politburo and the Secretariat (13th term) on conducting research and proposing further reorganization of the political system's organizational structure, the Binh Thuan Provincial Party Committee has directed the city, town, and district Party committees to lead and guide the implementation of several contents to proactively prepare for implementation when the Central Committee officially issues a policy on the reorganization of commune-level administrative units.

Selecting commune officials for the upcoming period is a very important matter.

Building a team of commune-level officials that meets job requirements.

In the future, a commune may merge from several communes, thus creating a huge workload. Therefore, the issue is to restructure the commune-level administrative apparatus in a scientific and efficient manner. Simultaneously, it is necessary to improve the capacity and quality of commune-level officials and civil servants to meet new requirements. Because the larger the commune, the more competent its officials must be.

According to the Ministry of Interior, currently about 82.3% of commune-level officials have university degrees, 3.5% have college degrees, but 13.71% still have vocational or basic-level qualifications. This is a major challenge as the policy of raising the standards of the workforce is being prioritized. With the ongoing restructuring and streamlining, officials who lack the necessary skills and cannot meet the requirements of new jobs will be forced to retire early or transfer to other positions. This direction will be inevitable and necessary for the efficient operation of the system; however, humane policies are still needed to ensure the rights of those who leave.

Mr. Tran Xuan Dat (Phu Thuy Ward, Phan Thiet City) is one of those who regularly follow important national events through various information channels. The policy of streamlining the political system, especially personnel management, is one of the issues he has been particularly concerned about recently. Mr. Dat stated: He wholeheartedly supports the Politburo and the Secretariat's policy, hoping that the competent authorities will select the most outstanding officials after streamlining the apparatus. Among the current officials, he believes it is necessary to select the best and most suitable ones for the new situation to serve the development of the country and society. This is not an easy task in the context of a busy workload, but it is a crucial matter. “Commune officials are those who are directly close to the people, deeply involved in their daily lives. Therefore, it is essential to select officials who possess both professional qualifications and innovative thinking to meet and resolve the people's needs. Simultaneously, they must have proper moral character, be serious about their work, towards colleagues, family, friends, and the general public; and their actions, words, and deeds must set a good example. If done well, this will be an opportunity for the administrative system to operate more efficiently, serve the people better, and promote socio-economic development in localities…,” Mr. Dat shared.

At a meeting with the Standing Committee of the Binh Thuan Provincial Party Committee on March 8th, in his capacity as the head of the Politburo's inspection team regarding the reorganization of the administrative apparatus, Comrade Nguyen Hoa Binh, Member of the Politburo and Standing Deputy Prime Minister, emphasized: Besides the merger, the quality of commune-level officials will also be improved, equivalent to that of provincial-level officials. After the merger, the Party Secretary of the commune may become a Provincial Party Committee member, or even participate in the Provincial Party Standing Committee. Standing Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh also stated that the merger will change the scale of commune-level administrative units, therefore localities need to carefully consider the documents and personnel. The commune-level Party Congress will be held after the merger is completed, expected in the latter half of June and early July.

The downsizing of the workforce will undoubtedly affect tens of thousands of civil servants. Therefore, the Party and the State have been and are implementing policies to ensure reasonable support. In reality, only when the selection process is truly based on competence and dedication will the grassroots administrative apparatus be truly streamlined, efficient, and receive the people's consensus. This is also what the people expect and hope to see in the future.

The policy of merging provinces and communes, and abolishing the district level, is a crucial step in administrative reform, helping to streamline the apparatus, improve management efficiency, and bring the government closer to the people. This change is not simply about reducing the number of administrative boundaries; it also creates an urgent need to improve the quality of civil servants. Because, with a streamlined apparatus, the workload will increase, and each official will have a greater responsibility. At this time, there is a demand for "elite" officials who are highly skilled in their fields and dedicated to serving the people.

Source: https://baobinhthuan.com.vn/sap-xep-tinh-gon-bo-may-can-bo-xa-se-tro-nen-tinh-hoa-128728.html