Minister of Home Affairs: "The merger of departments and branches should wait for the decree"

At the meeting at the end of June,Lao Cai Provincial People's Council haspassed a Resolution to merge the Department of Transport and the Department of Construction into the Department of Transport - Construction.Then, Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee issuedRegulations on position, functions, tasks and rightsTerm and organizational structure of the Department of Transport and Construction.

According to the leader of Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee, the merger and streamlining of the apparatus at the department level will limit overlapping functions and tasks, save regular staff and expenses, facilitate leadership and administration, and improve the effectiveness of State management.

Speaking to the press on July 17, Minister of Home Affairs Le Vinh Tan said, NThe decree on the organization of provincial-level professional agencies was put out for consultation in 2017 but has not yet been issued.

According to Mr. Tan, there are also some provinces that have plans to merge departments and branches but do so according to the decentralized authority. Provinces that do not have a plan to merge should wait for the Decree to be issued, because the decision on specialized agencies under the provincial People's Committee is the Government.

"We support the merger according to the draft Decree. If we pilot another option, we should be cautious,"must be permitted by the competent authority," said the Minister of Interior.

One of the contents that has many different opinions whenThe Decree on the organization of specialized agencies under the People's Committees of provinces and cities that was put out for comments is a proposal to merge a number of departments and branches. Specifically, the draft proposesMerge the Department of Planning and Investment with the Department of Finance into the Department of Planning and Finance; merge the Department of Construction with the Department of Transport into the Department of Transport, Construction and Urban Development.

With the proposal to merge the Department of Construction with the Department of Transport into the Department of Transport, Construction and Urban Development, the Ministry of Home Affairs believes that the formation and development of modern urban spaces cannot be separated between urban construction planning and transport infrastructure planning, especially when the Government is directing the acceleration of project implementation in the form of public-private investment (BOT, PPP...)

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, organizing a unified management agency for these two fields will ensure increased efficiency and overcome shortcomings in the management of urban infrastructure (housing construction, urban water supply and drainage under the construction sector) and transport infrastructure (road construction under the transport sector).

After the merger, the Department of Transport and Construction of Lao Cai province has one director and no more than three deputy directors; 10 specialized and professional departments; one organization under the Department, the Construction Appraisal Department; six public service units under the Department; one public service unit under the Department, the Construction Quality Appraisal Center, and two public service units under the Department, the International Border Gate Transport Management Station and the Lao Cai Province Mobile Vehicle Weight Inspection Station.