Blocking the 'last-minute rush' syndrome.

(Baonghean)The controversy surrounding a department with only two employees, all under leadership, had barely subsided when the Ministry of Interior's Inspectorate discovered another rather unusual practice: a rapid succession of appointments of departmental and divisional-level officials within the Government Inspectorate.

Firstly, the press reported that the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs of Hai Duong province has 46 staff positions, but 44 of them are department leaders or heads/deputy heads of departments, with only 2 being specialists. Specifically, the department has one director, three deputy directors, and each department has one head and 3 to 5 deputy heads. A prime example mentioned in the press is the case of a female Deputy Chief Inspector who was promoted at a dizzying speed; she was only recruited as a civil servant in August 2015, but just three months later, on December 1st, 2015, she was appointed Deputy Chief Inspector.

The second issue only came to light after an inspection of personnel management at the Government Inspectorate (GI) conducted by the Ministry of Interior's Inspectorate. According to the inspection, several GI departments have a number of deputy heads exceeding regulations. Specifically, Department III has 6 deputy heads, double the regulated number; the Anti-Corruption Department has 4 deputy heads; Departments I and II each have 4 deputy heads; and the Citizen Reception Board also has 4 deputy heads... Notably, in the six months before his retirement, Mr. Huynh Phong Tranh – the former Chief Inspector of the Government Inspectorate – appointed 35 inspection officers, many of whom were newly appointed at the department and division levels.

Both incidents occurred, one at the departmental level and the other at the ministerial level, but they share a common point: "inflation of officials." And this "inflation" arose within a very short period and under the same circumstances. This happened shortly before the department director and the chief inspector retired. Looking at the timing of these promotions and appointments, it's easy to guess their purpose. As Dương Trung Quốc, a well-known National Assembly representative, analyzed, "It's a widespread phenomenon in many places where officials nearing the end of their term use their power to promote people under the pretext of strengthening the personnel system, but everyone can see that it's buying and selling positions for personal gain."

In fact, this isn't a new phenomenon; for a long time, many people have been warning about the "lame-duck syndrome" or "59-year-old syndrome"... This refers to the point at which people often make decisions regardless of the consequences, thinking they have nothing to lose and that it's their last chance to do what's necessary for their own benefit. Unfortunately, despite anticipating this, there are no sanctions or measures to curb it, so it continues to happen with unpredictable consequences. It's time for strong measures and sanctions to stop this "last-minute grab" syndrome that is spreading in government agencies.

Duy Huong