Commune-level officials face new requirements

Opportunities and challenges

The Politburo and the Central Party Secretariat have just issued Conclusion No. 127, dated February 28, 2025, on the implementation of research and proposals to continue to reorganize the apparatus of the political system; in which, it is required to study not to organize at the district level and continue to merge administrative units at the commune level. When this policy is implemented, opinions from the grassroots level believe that this is both an opportunity and a difficulty and challenge for the commune level.

The great opportunity is to expand the development space for each locality; at the same time, decentralize and delegate power more strongly, increase the initiative for the commune level in planning, deciding on development directions as well as implementing political tasks, resolving difficulties and concerns of the people, because in reality, there are matters that the commune level must ask for opinions from the district level, the district level asks for opinions from the provincial level, causing delays in time and effectiveness of resolution.

At the same time, administrative procedures for people and businesses are reduced by reducing the number of intermediate levels. On the part of commune-level officials and civil servants, there is an opportunity to perfect and maximize their abilities and capacities at a new level, which means that if they cannot meet the requirements, they will be "eliminated" from the system.

Along with opportunities, there are many difficulties and challenges. When the district level is not organized, the authority, functions and tasks at the commune level will be strengthened and "pushed up"; associated with the continued merger of communes, the area, population and workload at the commune level will also increase. This requires the team of cadres and civil servants at the commune level to be improved in terms of expertise, professionalism, working skills and awareness and responsibility.

Comrade Nguyen Anh Quan - Secretary of the Party Cell of An Vinh block, Hung Phuc ward, Vinh city said: "If the district level is abolished, the most important issue is to build a team of qualified commune-level cadres and civil servants. If it is the current situation, it will be difficult to meet current development requirements."

The difficulty and challenge is to build a team of communal-level cadres and civil servants who are up to the task in the new conditions; at the same time, it is necessary to build a working relationship between the province and the communal level.

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If the district level is abolished, the most important issue is to build a team of qualified commune-level cadres and civil servants, otherwise it will be difficult to meet current development requirements.

Comrade Nguyen Anh Quan - Secretary of An Vinh Block Party Cell, Hung Phuc Ward, Vinh City

Maintain work "form"

Previously, implementing Resolution No. 18-NQ/TW, dated October 25, 2017 of the 12th Party Central Committee "Some issues on continuing to innovate and reorganize the political system to be streamlined and operate effectively and efficiently", in the two periods of 2019 - 2021 and 2023 - 2025, Nghe An province has reorganized, merged, and reduced 68 communes and wards; from 480, now there are 412 communes, wards, and towns.

With a spirit of urgency, determination and determination not to interrupt work, not to leave vacant assigned fields and tasks after the reorganization of commune-level administrative units; communes, wards and towns implementing the merger in the 2023-2025 period in the province have quickly caught up with the work, ensuring that local political tasks are carried out normally.

Thuan Long Commune (Quynh Luu District), after organizing the announcement of the decision to establish a new administrative unit and personnel work on December 19, 2024, has put the apparatus into operation with many focused contents. Of particular interest is the review and systematization of socio-economic development targets and tasks on the basis of the two old communes as well as the planning; clearly identifying unfinished tasks to deploy and supplement public investment, meeting the development requirements of the new commune.

“In particular, work related to the people is given high priority by the Party Committee, the government and the entire political system, especially handling administrative procedures to avoid delays for the people. Although the number of administrative procedures arising in the 2 months after the merger is high (January and February 2025), with a total of more than 1,000 procedures, of which 905 procedures are performed through online public services, the rate of early settlement is 93.9%”, said Mr. Tran Van Trung - Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Committee of Thuan Long commune.

Also in the spirit of not interrupting work, after merging and perfecting the organization and apparatus in the political system, supplementing regulations, and assigning tasks to each collective and individual, Nghia Hung commune (Nghia Dan district) immediately implemented socio-economic, national defense and security, Party building and local political system tasks.

Notably, the Party Committee of Nghia Hung commune directed the completion of the congress of the Party cell directly under the grassroots Party Committee on February 25, 2025, ensuring quality and correct orientation; of which, 14/18 rural Party cells were structured with the deputy secretary as the hamlet chief. The commune organized the groundbreaking ceremony for 2 projects at the beginning of 2025, including the multi-functional cultural house of the commune, with a total investment of 3.9 billion VND and a traffic route of more than 2 km long.

The awareness and responsibility of the cadres and civil servants of Nghia Hung commune have been enhanced, they are close to the people, closely following the grassroots, and solving tasks to ensure the needs of the people. The locality has focused on organizing dialogues between businesses and people to find a "common voice" on the plan to implement the compensation regime for sand gathering sites in the area.

In Phu Thanh commune (Yen Thanh), immediately after the merger, the entire political system took part in carrying out political tasks. The focus was on organizing activities to celebrate the Party and celebrate Spring, taking care of social security for the people, with more than 600 Tet gifts given to people in difficult circumstances; directing spring crop production according to plan; reviewing unfinished works and investment projects, to have a plan to continue implementing according to the plan.

Based on forecasts of difficulties and problems that are likely to arise during the "transitional" period, Phu Thanh commune has strengthened state management in all areas, especially land management, traffic safety corridors, security and order. In just the first 2 months of 2025, Phu Thanh commune has detected and handled 3 cases of land encroachment violations...

The efforts to keep pace and not interrupt the work of localities have affirmed the leadership role of the Party Committee, the management of the government and the participation of the entire political system very effectively after the merger; creating trust and consensus among the people about the policy of arranging administrative units.

In addition to effective leadership, direction and management when the staff and civil servants are arranged more compactly, feedback from the grassroots level shows that administrative boundaries in some localities are also arranged more reasonably; increasing land resources, potentials, strengths and human resources for localities to develop in the coming time.