Provincial Party Secretary: Need to have a specific plan for redundant staff after the merger

On the morning of September 17, under the chairmanship of comrade Nguyen Dac Vinh - Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation, the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee met to give opinions on the Project on rearranging and merging commune-level administrative units in Nghe An province, period 2019 - 2021. Photo: Dao Tuan

Focus on resolving arising complications

According to the Project, the total number of commune-level administrative units in the province to be reorganized and merged in 2019 is 36 units (16 units must be merged with 20 adjacent units) to establish 16 new commune-level administrative units, a reduction of 20 units. Specifically, there are 9 districts with communes to be reorganized and merged, including: Que Phong, Tuong Duong, Thanh Chuong, Dien Chau, Nghi Loc, Nam Dan, Thai Hoa town, Nghia Dan, Hung Nguyen.

After the reorganization and merger, Nghe An province reduced from 480 commune-level administrative units to 460 units (411 communes, 32 wards, 17 towns).

In his speech, Provincial Party Secretary Nguyen Dac Vinh directed the Department of Home Affairs - the unit in charge of drafting the Project - to clarify further the organizational structure, personnel work, and the use of infrastructure in the communes subject to merger.

Specifically, there must be a detailed plan for arranging the leading positions at the commune level such as: Secretary, Chairman of the People's Committee, Chairman of the People's Council... In addition, there must also be specific plans for deputy-level officials and redundant positions.

According to Provincial Party Secretary Nguyen Dac Vinh, the Provincial People's Committee and related sectors also need to have realistic plans for policies, especially the policy of one-time leave for qualified officials.

Director of the Department of Home Affairs Le Dinh Ly reports at the meeting. Photo: Dao Tuan

Regarding the organizational structure, it is necessary to consider specific solutions for Party organizations, which organizations need to be merged, which organizations need to be brought under their direct control. Although the Project proposes a plan to merge the People's Councils of communes, it is also necessary to have a detailed and clear plan to ensure the objective requirements are met.

Regarding the infrastructure system at commune-level administrative units, reality shows that when 2-3 communes are merged into 1 commune, how will the invested facilities and infrastructure be handled to ensure reasonableness? How will projects such as medical stations and cultural institutions be handled to avoid shortages and waste?

Auction of existing assets in communes

Explaining further at the meeting, comrade Le Dinh Ly - Director of the Department of Home Affairs said that regarding the plan for arranging cadres, especially leaders, the Department has advised the Provincial People's Committee to issue a document guiding localities to review and arrange cadres and civil servants, develop specific job title standards; direct districts and commune-level administrative units to review and classify, based on specific and objective criteria to select the host.

For cadres who are eligible for retirement, conditions will be created for retirement according to policy; those who are eligible for job transfer will be arranged and assigned appropriately within the area.

For deputy officials, positions will be arranged in accordance with their qualifications, abilities, and professional nature; if they meet the requirements for rotation, they will be rotated within the area. In the short term, there will not be many changes, but based on the 5-year roadmap, appropriate solutions will be implemented.

Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Thai Thanh Quy speaks at the meeting. Photo: Dao Tuan

Discussing further on this issue, comrade Thai Thanh Quy - Alternate member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee presented a plan to arrange and assign cadres to be implemented through surveying and reviewing the apparatus at the grassroots level.

Accordingly, the review has now been assigned to communes and districts to carry out. For the positions of leaders of Party committees, authorities, People's Councils, and Fatherland Fronts, they will be regulated and arranged within the locality, from commune to commune, from position to position. The viewpoint is to focus on arranging the position of head, and for deputy positions, it will be carried out according to a reasonable time and roadmap.

Regarding facilities, in the spirit of thoroughly surveying the area, based on the planning of technical infrastructure and social infrastructure, and consulting people to choose the headquarters of the commune-level administrative unit at one of the units subject to merger.

The direction to handle the remaining headquarters and physical works is to ask for the policy of the Standing Committee and the Provincial Party Committee to auction off existing assets and unused headquarters of communes.

3 communes of Nghia Dan district will merge into 1 commune. Graphics by Huu Quan

At the meeting, delegates also pointed out some realities that the Provincial People's Committee needs to take into account when implementing the Project. That is, how will the merger of a part of this commune into another commune be carried out, what is the population size? The administrative boundaries between communes also need to be clearly defined. Administrative procedures and documents at communes and wards must ensure convenience and suitability for the people during the merger process as well as after the merger.

The delegate also proposed that the arrangement of surplus staff does not necessarily have to be within the locality but can soon be expanded to communes of other districts...

Develop a plan to resolve surplus staff

In his concluding remarks, Provincial Party Secretary Nguyen Dac Vinh emphasized that, in implementing the Project on reorganizing and merging commune-level administrative units in the province, in addition to strictly implementing the general principles mentioned above, it is also necessary to pay utmost respect to the economic, cultural, social and historical conditions of each unit. The determination of place names and names of administrative units must also be carefully surveyed and studied.

Provincial Party Secretary Nguyen Dac Vinh gave a speech at the meeting. Photo: Dao Tuan

Regarding personnel work, it is agreed not to carry out new recruitment, but instead of issuing an administrative decision (temporarily stopping recruitment), it will be handled with a specific plan, initially for the 9 districts with merged commune-level administrative units, and in the long term for other localities.

Regarding infrastructure, the Provincial Party Secretary suggested that the use and exploitation of commune headquarters (no longer in use) should be carefully and specifically studied. This content is not assigned to the commune level to implement but assigned to the districts to preside over, develop a solution plan, and report to the province.

Regarding the organizational apparatus, in addition to implementing the direction of the Central Government and the Project, the Provincial People's Committee needs to have specific instructions for vertical sectors, from Party organizations, Government, Fatherland Front, unions, armed forces...

Regarding the problem of outstanding debts in some communes as mentioned by the delegates, the Provincial Party Secretary assigned the Department of Finance and the Department of Planning and Investment to study and come up with specific solutions, but in principle, it requires a commitment and agreement to repay the debt from the relevant communes and localities.

The Provincial Party Secretary also requested all levels and sectors to focus on propaganda and mobilization; carry out ideological work well, and avoid arising problems and disturbances at the grassroots level.