The Party's policy on restructuring and streamlining the political system's organizational apparatus has received widespread public support because it is a necessary revolution for the country's development and must be carried out decisively without hesitation. A number of officials and civil servants within the government system have voluntarily resigned to pursue other suitable work, helping to reduce the pressure on the restructuring and streamlining process.
In Thanh Hoa province, following the restructuring and streamlining of the administrative apparatus, in 2025, over 300 officials, civil servants, and employees registered to voluntarily retire early to facilitate the restructuring and organization of the administrative apparatus.
Ms. Le Hai Hung, former Head of the Ethnic Affairs Department of the Lang Chanh District People's Committee (Thanh Hoa province), voluntarily requested early retirement nearly 10 years in advance to support the restructuring and streamlining of the administrative apparatus.
Having voluntarily submitted her resignation letter before the end of her term with nearly 10 years of service remaining, Ms. Le Hai Hung, former Head of the Ethnic Affairs Department of the Lang Chanh District People's Committee, believes that Resolution 18 is a correct policy of the Party and the State. With the pioneering and exemplary spirit of a Party member, and feeling it was appropriate, she voluntarily wrote her resignation letter to create opportunities for younger generations to contribute and make breakthroughs in local development…
“The state is not the only place to rely on. Depending on our abilities, skills, and strengths, we can find other paths and fields such as business development and investment… to contribute and benefit the country. We can contribute and make a difference anywhere, not necessarily only working for the state. However, to avoid brain drain, we need to carefully screen and research each individual during the streamlining and restructuring process,” Ms. Le Hai Hung shared.
In Nghe An province , during the process of streamlining the administrative apparatus, many key leaders and officials from Party organizations and government agencies at the provincial, district, and commune levels voluntarily requested early retirement; among them, many leaders and managers still had 8-9 years of service remaining, enough for two terms, and many opportunities for advancement.
Mr. Ngo Quang Hung (born in 1972), Deputy Head of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department of the Nam Dan District Party Committee (Nghe An province), has submitted a request for early retirement. Mr. Hung will retire on April 1, 2025, 9 years and 9 months before the retirement age. Having risen through the ranks from the grassroots level and worked for over 34 years in various positions from mass organizations to government and Party organizations, Mr. Hung is confident that he can successfully handle new responsibilities. However, he has decided to retire to facilitate the streamlining and reorganization of the organizational structure following the merger.
"I believe that my retirement is not a sacrifice, but rather a responsibility of a Party member and a leading official. Considering myself qualified, I voluntarily stepped back to give younger, more capable, and qualified officials the opportunity to develop and contribute more effectively. I expect and trust that the person entrusted with this new responsibility, the younger generation, will create a breakthrough," Mr. Ngo Quang Hung confided.
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Mr. Ngo Quang Hung, Deputy Head of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department of the Nam Dan District Party Committee (Nghe An province), has requested early retirement despite having nearly 9 years of service remaining.
Initially, Nghe An province has successfully implemented measures related to streamlining and reorganizing the administrative apparatus in accordance with the central government's spirit of "running while queuing," and "the central government leads by example, localities follow suit; the central government doesn't wait for the province, the province doesn't wait for the district, and the district doesn't wait for the grassroots." To date, the Nghe An Department of Internal Affairs has received 380 applications for early retirement under Decree 178, submitted by departments, agencies, and localities.
Regarding the restructuring and streamlining of the administrative apparatus, which will see a large number of workers leaving the state sector to move to the private sector, Mr. Le Dinh Ly, Deputy Head of the Organization Department of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee, stated: Currently, the non-state sector is wide open, and private businesses and economic services are developing strongly, creating opportunities for those who voluntarily retire to continue contributing to the development of the private and household economy.
Mr. Lai The Nguyen, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, and Head of the Thanh Hoa Provincial Delegation to the National Assembly.
According to Lai The Nguyen, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Thanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee, in today's open labor market, working for the State is clearly not the ultimate choice for a stable life. Working in non-state enterprises, private enterprises, and foreign-owned enterprises currently offers very stable, even very high, incomes and many satisfactory benefits for workers.
According to Mr. Le Van Cuong (from Dong Cuong ward, Thanh Hoa city, Thanh Hoa province, a member of the National Assembly in the 11th and 12th terms), the resignation of officials and civil servants to streamline the administrative apparatus benefits both the State and meets the current needs of society. After streamlining, capable employees will remain in state agencies and perform better, while incompetent individuals will be removed from the "chain," leading to more efficient operation of the system. Society benefits from the restructuring of the workforce. Currently, many companies and enterprises need a large number of skilled technical workers with management experience. In particular, in a multi-sectoral and multi-occupational society, there will be more job opportunities for intellectuals.
Volunteer staff retire early:
To facilitate the restructuring and streamlining of the administrative apparatus according to Resolution 18, the voluntary resignation of officials, civil servants, and public employees is a positive development. However, authorities at all levels need to carefully consider and assess their specific capabilities to avoid brain drain – where talented individuals leave while less capable or opportunistic individuals seek to remain.
According to Lai The Nguyen, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, and Head of the Thanh Hoa Provincial National Assembly Delegation, streamlining the administrative apparatus can be considered a major policy of the Party and the State aimed at building a lean, effective, and efficient system. During the implementation process, Thanh Hoa province has many advantages, with a high level of consensus among cadres, civil servants, and public employees, and many are willing to retire according to State policy to facilitate the restructuring process.
Mr. Lai The Nguyen affirmed: The Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee has requested that heads of units be responsible for disseminating and implementing the directives, but at the same time, they must also listen to the thoughts and aspirations of the workers. In particular, each case must be considered individually; some cases may be approved for retirement, while others may not. Those individuals must be retained to work if they still have remaining time, good health, expertise, qualifications, capabilities, and good character, in order to prevent brain drain.
According to Mr. Nguyen Viet Hung, Director of the Nghe An Department of Internal Affairs, Decree 178, which stipulates support policies for officials requesting early retirement, is an "important support" for the revolution in streamlining and reorganizing the administrative apparatus. Therefore, Nghe An province is developing a draft set of criteria for evaluating civil servants and public employees as a basis for personnel selection.
Developing and implementing these criteria is a very difficult task, as it requires ensuring they are both practical and fair in evaluating officials. These criteria are designed for screening, aiming to retain good officials and dismiss underperforming ones, while job demands are increasingly high.
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Secretary of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee Nguyen Duc Trung stated that for the revolution to be victorious and successful, sacrifices and losses are inevitable; this is unavoidable.
Mr. Le Dinh Ly, Deputy Head of the Organization Department of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee, assessed that the comprehensive and strong policies issued by the Party and State have encouraged eligible individuals to voluntarily retire early. The fact that comrades request early retirement not only facilitates the organization in personnel placement but also demonstrates the sense of responsibility, pioneering spirit, and exemplary conduct of Party members in complying with the Party's guidelines and the State's policies and laws regarding the current streamlining of the organizational structure.
Expressing his personal opinion, Mr. Le Dinh Ly suggested that, to avoid "brain drain," agencies and organizations, when restructuring and streamlining their apparatus, must select, encourage, and motivate truly talented and capable individuals to remain and continue contributing to building strong agencies and units.
Emphasizing that the restructuring process is a revolution, the Secretary of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee, Nguyen Duc Trung, stated that for a revolution to succeed, sacrifices and losses are inevitable. Specifically, during the recent restructuring, some people suffered disadvantages, being demoted from heads to deputies, and many leading officials requested early retirement.
The Secretary of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee also requested that, during the process of consolidating the organizational structure, especially in personnel arrangements, transparency, democracy, and accountability must be ensured in the selection of personnel for placement. The spirit is to retain capable and experienced cadres, prevent brain drain, and avoid complex issues that could cause internal disunity and negatively impact overall work.
"The process of reorganizing the administrative apparatus and assigning personnel must be fair and objective, in the spirit of 'selecting the right people,' preventing 'brain drain' and avoiding the emergence of complex internal issues," emphasized Nguyen Duc Trung, Secretary of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee.
Currently, the State has issued decrees clearly stipulating policies to support officials, civil servants, and employees who wish to retire early. However, authorities at all levels need to provide timely, appropriate, and sufficient support, along with effective mechanisms for job transition, to encourage this workforce to feel secure, stable in their lives, and contribute to society.
According to a report from the Department of Internal Affairs of Ha Tinh province, in 2025, hundreds of officials and Party members requested early retirement due to the restructuring and streamlining of the district-level and provincial-level departments and agencies. Notably, demonstrating their pioneering and exemplary roles in facilitating the restructuring, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ha Tinh province Le Ngoc Chau and Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Department Vo Hong Hai voluntarily requested early retirement as part of the streamlining process.
In January 2025, when implementing the policy of merging Thach Ha and Loc Ha districts (Ha Tinh province), to facilitate personnel arrangements, Ms. Tran Thi Thu Hang, Chairwoman of the Thach Ha District Red Cross Society, submitted a request for early retirement despite not being eligible for the policy under Decree 178/2024/ND-CP (Decree 178/2024/ND-CP does not stipulate for employees working within the staffing quota and receiving salaries from the state budget at associations assigned tasks by the Party and the State).
Ms. Hang shared that, despite fulfilling her assigned duties and responsibilities, she and many others in similar situations were not receiving the corresponding benefits and policies. However, the Government has now issued Decree No. 67/2025/ND-CP dated March 15, 2025, amending and supplementing several articles of Decree No. 178/2024/ND-CP dated December 31, 2024, which has expanded the scope and対象 of application. She belongs to one of the three groups eligible for these benefits, which has greatly relieved her anxieties and given her more confidence and motivation to retire early, facilitating personnel arrangements for the organization.
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Ms. Tran Thi Thu Hang, former Chairwoman of the Thach Ha District Red Cross Society (Ha Tinh province), voluntarily requested early retirement to support the restructuring and streamlining of the organization.
Looking back on his 34 years of service, Mr. Ngo Quang Hung (born in 1972), former Deputy Head of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department of the Nam Dan District Party Committee (Nghe An province), is satisfied with what he has contributed to his work, but also has certain regrets and concerns.
“Decree 178 stipulates rewards for those who have made contributions, so in my opinion, the province should consider awarding Certificates of Merit to those who voluntarily retire to facilitate the restructuring and streamlining of the apparatus. This would both acknowledge their contributions during their work and serve as an incentive for those who are pioneers in voluntarily supporting the Party and State's policy of streamlining,” Mr. Hung expressed his wish.
Creating opportunities for young, talented people:
Supporting the policy of streamlining the administrative apparatus, despite having nearly 10 years of service remaining, Ms. Le Hai Hung, a District Party Committee member and former Head of the Ethnic Affairs Department of the Lang Chanh District People's Committee (Thanh Hoa province), submitted a request for early retirement and was approved by the Chairman of the Lang Chanh District People's Committee, effective March 1, 2025. Currently, Ms. Hung's retirement benefits are being processed by the social insurance agency, so she has not yet received her March pension and other support payments as stipulated in Decree 178. Ms. Hung hopes that the State will expedite the processing of early retirement benefits for those applying to retire early, so that they have the opportunity to transition to other professions.
According to Lai The Nguyen, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Thanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee, the Government has issued decrees on resolving policies and benefits for workers in a very open and transparent manner, so the implementation will also be very open and transparent. The Standing Committee of the Thanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee has directed the Provincial People's Committee, the Standing Committees of the districts, the District People's Committees, and relevant departments to quickly resolve procedures so that workers can take leave as they wish, and to transparently implement the policies and benefits that workers are entitled to. Currently, the State's policies are relatively good and very satisfactory; therefore, Thanh Hoa province is not considering having its own policies for the time being, but will only implement the State's policies well to ensure the rights of workers. Mr. Lai The Nguyen suggested that the Central Government allocate funds and resources to localities to promptly resolve benefits for workers.
Mr. Phan Xuan Dien (born in 1977), formerly the Deputy Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Con Cuong District, Nghe An Province, pioneered leaving his job in a state agency to engage in the cultivation of medicinal plants since 2017. Mr. Dien has diligently pursued his passion for developing medicinal plants and building his company's brand, achieving initial success.
Mr. Phan Xuan Dien, former Deputy Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Con Cuong district (Nghe An province), resigned from his government job to pursue farming, developing medicinal plants, and processing products from medicinal herbs, achieving initial success with his chosen path.
According to Mr. Phan Xuan Dien, implementing a revolution in organizational structure is an urgent requirement to create breakthroughs in national development. Through the reorganization and merger of organizational structures, the number of administrative units and procedures will be reduced, decentralization and delegation of power will be promoted, thereby boosting economic growth and creating more jobs. However, to enable civil servants and public employees to start businesses and participate in economic activities after leaving the public sector, in addition to general support policies, the government should have credit packages with preferential interest rates for those subject to downsizing to borrow from.
"Providing preferential loan policies is like equipping them with a fishing rod so they can participate in the vibrant economic market. In addition, local departments and agencies should offer training courses to help them access new, modern sales skills and technologies that are in line with current trends," Mr. Dien suggested.
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Mr. Le The Phong, from Trung Thanh village, Luong Son commune, Thuong Xuan district (Thanh Hoa province), resigned from his government job after 13 years as a teacher. In 2020, he started his own business building a eucalyptus wood chipping facility, which has been initially successful.
Despite having taught at the junior high school level for 13 years, Le The Phong from Luong Son commune, Thuong Xuan district (Thanh Hoa province) decided to leave and start his own business, even though he wasn't eligible for government support. In 2020, Phong started his own business building a factory for purchasing and chipping acacia wood, initially facing many difficulties. However, through hard work and perseverance, Phong's acacia wood chipping factory is now operating stably, generating income and creating jobs for local workers.
Sharing Mr. Dien's viewpoint, Mr. Phong believes that when streamlining the administrative apparatus, the state should have policies, strategies, and resources to support civil servants and public employees who retire early, providing them with the resources to start their own businesses.
Mr. Nguyen Van Linh, Head of the Personnel and Organization Department of the Thanh Hoa Provincial Department of Internal Affairs, believes that the transition of civil servants and public employees from state agencies to the private sector is an inevitable trend. However, the working environment in state administrative agencies differs from that in the private sector. Therefore, employment service centers can forecast the labor market and, based on that, propose policies to provide timely support and ensure the well-being of workers. Simultaneously, the State should provide support and incentives during the initial transition period, such as vocational training programs and addressing some of the difficulties and obstacles faced in the private sector.
“The central government’s policies for those subject to downsizing are very humane and timely. The spirit of the Central Steering Committee is to minimize the impact on those affected when implementing the restructuring and streamlining of the apparatus. Therefore, the policy mechanisms for cadres, civil servants, and public employees must be strong enough to create favorable conditions for those undergoing downsizing to have the resources to find subsequent employment. I believe this policy is very appropriate and timely,” assessed Nguyen Van Linh, Head of the Organization and Personnel Department, Thanh Hoa Provincial Department of Internal Affairs.
Support policies need to reach grassroots officials as soon as possible:
Article by: VNA Reporters
Photos, graphics, videos: VNA - VNA publishing
Editor: Ha Phuong
Presented by: Ha Nguyen
Source: https://baotintuc.vn/long-form/emagazine/mo-canh-cua-moi-cho-nguoi-lao-dong-20250328130900444.htm
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