The Front's staff from district to central level is still one department behind.

At the conference to review the implementation of the coordination program of the Standing Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee, Central Committees of socio-political organizations, the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations, and the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance today, Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Tran Thanh Man pointed out many limitations.

In addition to recognizing that a part of the Front still shows signs of bureaucracy, he said that coordination is still not tight in some places and that grassroots organizations are not equally strong.

“People say ‘one call, hundreds respond’, union members must be strong. This situation has gradually improved, there is progress but quantity must go hand in hand with quality,” he noted.

Regarding the 2018 tasks, the Chairman of the Front said that the Front must accompany the Government to achieve the growth target of 6.7%. Along with that, it is necessary to promote emulation movements and campaigns of the Front and its members, first of all, there must be a strong change in the thinking, awareness and actions of each cadre.

In which he emphasized the movement of building new rural areas, smart cities, implementing new-style cooperatives, focusing on poverty reduction, continuing the campaign for Vietnamese people to use Vietnamese goods...

Regarding the implementation of Resolution 6 of the Central Committee on the arrangement and streamlining of the apparatus, Mr. Man said that the number of front organizations is very small, and the increase is not equal to the number of state-owned enterprises. He is worried that if the apparatus is rearranged and the number of staff is reduced, it will create a wave of anxiety and insecurity in the work.

“I don’t know about other organizations, but the National Front alone, from the district to the Central level, has 5,999 cadres, less than one ministry of the Central. There are 11,000 chairmen of the Front at the commune, ward and town levels. When the arrangement comes, there will be incumbent department heads and deputy department heads and planners who will have their own thoughts, and will lobby to get this or that, and complain if they don’t get it,” he worried.

Therefore, the Chairman of the Front requested the Central Organizing Committee and the Ministry of Home Affairs to provide unified guidance.

He also said that Directive 17 of the Politburo puts the Secretary and Deputy Secretary into the structure of the Front and the Standing Committee member acts as the Chairman of the Front, but currently in some localities, the head of the mass mobilization committee is also the Chairman of the Front, making it difficult to implement.

Two roles are not as good as one role.

“Regarding the Front for 2.5 years, I see that where there is a concurrent job, it is not as good as not having one. This must be said honestly, the ultimate goal is to have cadres who are both virtuous and talented, and work effectively for the country,” he noted and emphasized that the restructuring of the apparatus must ensure the four words “streamlining and efficiency”.

Vice President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor Mai Duc Chinh suggested that it is necessary to determine a specific program assigned to each organization so that coordination is effective and not formal.

“In 2018, the Vietnam Fatherland Front needs to pay attention to responding to issues of public concern such as extending the retirement age; and coordinate well in implementing the Vietnam Fatherland Front's action program to prevent and combat corruption and waste,” said Mr. Chinh.

Vice President of the Vietnam Women's Union Tran Thi Huong suggested that the Front pay attention to monitoring a number of lawsuits related to child abuse, focusing on monitoring the implementation of regulations on food safety and hygiene...