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 research 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 more power, increase the initiative of 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, and 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 intermediary levels. On the part of commune-level officials and civil servants, there is an opportunity to perfect and maximize their abilities and capacities to 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 of the commune will also increase. This requires the team of commune-level cadres and civil servants to be upgraded in terms of expertise, professionalism, working skills, awareness and responsibility.

Comrade Nguyen Anh Quan - Secretary of the An Vinh block Party cell, 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 like this now, it will be difficult to meet current development requirements."

The difficulty and challenge is the need to build a team of commune-level cadres and civil servants equal to the tasks in the new conditions; at the same time, it is necessary to build a working relationship between the province and the commune level.

“

If the district level is abolished, the most important issue is to build a team of qualified commune-level officials and civil servants. If it is the current situation, 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 performance"

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 reorganized, merged, and reduced 68 communes and wards; from 480, now there are 412 communes, wards, and towns.

With the 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 announcing 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 reviewing and systematizing the 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 large (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, defense-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 have the structure of the deputy secretary being the hamlet chief. The commune organized the groundbreaking of 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, 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 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 implementation according to the plan.

Based on forecasts of difficulties and problems that may arise during the "transitional" period, Phu Thanh commune has strengthened State management in all fields, especially land management, traffic safety corridors, security and order. In the first 2 months of 2025, Phu Thanh commune has discovered 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 on 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 establishments are also arranged more reasonably; increasing land resources, potentials, strengths and human resources for localities to develop in the coming time.