Reduce at least 46 departments nationwide if merged

This is the content stated in the draft Decree replacing Decree No. 24/2014/ND-CP regulating the organization of specialized agencies under the People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities.

According to the draft Decree drafted by the Ministry of Home Affairs, dozens of departments could be reduced if merged.

Only organize 4 unified departments

The Ministry of Home Affairs said that the Departments are organized uniformly in provinces and centrally-run cities, including the Department of Justice, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, and Department of Health.

The Departments of Planning and Investment, Finance, Transport, Construction, Agriculture and Rural Development, Industry and Trade, Science and Technology, Department of Education and Training, Department of Information and Communications, Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism (or Department of Culture and Sports) are submitted by the Provincial People's Committee to the People's Council of the same level to decide on stability or consolidation.

The departments that delegate authority to the provincial People's Committee to submit to the People's Council of the same level for decision to maintain stability or pilot the merger include the Department of Home Affairs (pilot merger with the Organizing Committee); the Provincial Inspectorate (pilot merger with the Inspection Committee); the People's Committee Office (pilot merger with the Office of the National Assembly Delegation and the Office of the Provincial People's Council).

For 4 specific and specialized departments, which are not organized uniformly among localities, including: Department of Planning and Architecture under the People's Committees of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and 3 departments whose establishment criteria are prescribed by the Government (Ethnic Affairs Committee, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Tourism), the provincial People's Committee shall submit to the People's Council of the same level for decision on maintaining stability or merging; to establish or not to establish, even if all establishment criteria are met.

Basis of merger

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the regulation that 4 Departments are organized uniformly is to ensure continuity and stability for departments that have been arranged and organized according to the model of multi-sectoral, multi-field management departments and specialized departments as prescribed and implemented in Decree No. 24/2014/ND-CP.

As for the merger of the Department of Planning and Investment with the Department of Finance, because the functions and tasks of the two departments are interconnected, the merger helps create conditions for consulting, helping the Provincial People's Committee to manage the State in this field more effectively, ensuring the development of planning and investment plans for local socio-economic development associated with the ability to balance financial and budgetary resources. In case of merger, the name will be the Department of Finance and Planning.

The Department of Transport merges with the Department of Construction because the formation and development of modern urban spaces cannot be separated between urban construction planning and transport infrastructure planning. In case of merger, the name will be the Department of Transport - Construction.

The Department of Information and Communications will merge with the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism (or the Department of Culture and Sports) because in practice, in some provinces with small areas and small populations, the requirements for state management of press, publishing, printing and distribution... are not large, so it is not necessary to maintain a specialized advisory department. If merged, the name will be the Department of Culture, Information, Sports and Tourism or the Department of Culture, Information and Sports.

The case of merging the Department of Science and Technology with the Department of Education and Training is because the field of science and technology is closely related to research and application. The name will be the Department of Education, Science and Technology.

Meanwhile, the basis for the proposal to merge, establish or not establish the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Ethnic Minorities Committee, the Department of Tourism and the Department of Planning and Architecture is to continue to promote the proactive empowerment of provincial-level local authorities in arranging and reducing the focal point of provincial-level professional agencies. For Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, if the Department of Planning and Architecture is not established, this department will be merged into the Department of Construction (or the Department of Transport and Construction).

The Ministry of Home Affairs also said that, implementing the policy of piloting the merger of a number of Party and State agencies with similar functions and tasks at the provincial level where conditions are met in accordance with Resolution No. 18 of the Central Committee, the draft Decree assigns localities to decide on maintaining stability or piloting the merger of the Department of Home Affairs with the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Board (City Party Committee), the Provincial Inspectorate with the Provincial Party Committee's Inspection Committee (City Party Committee) to ensure compliance with the practical situation in the locality.

Can be reduced to a minimum of 46 locations

Based on the classification of departments and the authority to decide on the establishment of departments, implementing the policy of streamlining the organizational apparatus, the draft designs many options. According to option 1, no more than 20 departments for Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, no more than 19 departments for provincial administrative units of type I, no more than 18 departments for type II and no more than 17 for type III, then reduce at least 46 departments (not including departments that do not meet the establishment criteria, need to be rearranged according to the provisions of this Decree). At that time, there are 22 provinces and cities that need to reduce at least 1 department, 12 provinces that need to reduce at least 2 departments.

Option 2 is no more than 20 departments for Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, no more than 18 departments for provincial administrative units of type I, no more than 17 departments for type II and type III, then reduce at least 88 departments. Thus, there will be 24 provinces and cities needing to reduce at least 1 department; 23 provinces and cities needing to reduce at least 2 departments and 6 provinces needing to reduce at least 3 departments.

In the above options, to ensure the implementation of organizational restructuring with a roadmap and avoid major disruptions, the Ministry of Home Affairs proposes to choose option 1.

One of the criteria for establishing a branch office under a department is that the required workload must be arranged with at least 12 civil servant positions or more. As for establishing a specialized or professional department under a department, the required workload must be arranged with at least 7 civil servant positions or more for a special provincial administrative unit, at least 6 positions for a type I provincial unit, and at least 5 positions for types II and III.