Public officials who "carry umbrellas" (i.e., engage in corrupt practices) cost 17 trillion VND annually.

According to Mr. Bui Sy Loi, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Social Affairs, experts estimate that up to 30% of civil servants are incompetent, equivalent to 700,000 people, costing the state budget 17 trillion VND annually.

On October 12th, the Ministry of Interior organized a scientific workshop titled "Context and Possibilities for Salary Reform." The workshop aimed to gather opinions from experts and managers in the process of researching and refining salary policies for officials, civil servants, public employees, and the armed forces.

Speaking at the workshop, Dr. Le Hong Huyen, Director of the Social Affairs Department (Central Economic Committee), argued that the current salary policy has not yet motivated civil servants to be dedicated and committed to their work. The current minimum wage does not meet basic needs. “A principle is that there is never a good product at a low price. Therefore, if we want civil servants to work hard and diligently, we must pay them appropriately for their efforts,” Dr. Le Hong Huyen stated.

Dr. Le Hong Huyen, Head of the Social Affairs Department, believes that the current salary policy has not yet motivated officials and civil servants to be dedicated to their work.

Dr. Le Hong Huyen, Head of the Social Affairs Department, believes that the current salary policy has not yet motivated officials and civil servants to be dedicated to their work.

However, according to Dr. Huyen, although the official salaries and income of civil servants according to the salary scale are not high, and even do not guarantee a minimum standard of living, most civil servants have solid houses and many own private cars.

Based on the evidence, Dr. Huyen argues that the majority of officials and civil servants have uncontrolled income outside of their salaries. This also means that a significant amount of personal income tax for officials and civil servants is being overlooked. According to Dr. Huyen, this could be a source to contribute to salary policy reform.

Although civil servants' salaries are low, they are still higher than their labor productivity.

In his paper submitted to the conference, Mr. Bui Sy Loi, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Social Affairs, pointed out a paradox: although civil servants' salaries are low, they are still higher than their labor productivity. This is evidenced by the fact that many civil servants simply go to work without doing anything, while there is a shortage of talent and a brain drain.

The Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Social Affairs stated that, according to expert estimates, up to 30% of civil servants are incompetent, equivalent to 700,000 people, costing the state budget 17 trillion VND annually. Furthermore, a report assessing labor productivity by the International Labour Organization (ILO) also indicated that Vietnam's labor productivity is among the lowest in the Asia-Pacific region.

Therefore, according to Mr. Bui Sy Loi, the state administrative apparatus must be reorganized to be more streamlined, aiming to reduce redundant personnel within the administrative system and contribute to generating more financial resources to pay salaries to officials and civil servants commensurate with the value of their labor. To achieve this, streamlining the administrative apparatus is a crucial breakthrough.

Regarding the same issue, economist Pham Chi Lan stated that when she spoke with a retired minister, he provided the following figures: Only one-third of civil servants are "working tirelessly" with more work than they can handle, one-third are simply hindering others, and the remaining one-third are "sitting around doing nothing."

"If that's the case, with two-thirds of civil servants not working, how can the country develop? This problem not only creates more positions but also expands the bureaucracy. And often, if one agency can't do something, they drag other units into it," said Ms. Pham Chi Lan.

According to Ms. Pham Chi Lan, if the cumbersome administrative apparatus with many unclear functions and responsibilities is maintained, then no matter how big the "salary pie" is, it will never meet the requirements for those working in the state to live on their salaries without having to worry about other issues.

According to Dan Tri