Must boldly arrange redundant leadership

On the morning of January 24, the Ministry of Home Affairs held a workshop to collect comments on the draft Resolution of the National Assembly Standing Committee and the Resolution of the Government on the arrangement of administrative units at district and commune levels for the 2019-2021 period.

Everyone is young and talented, difficult to arrange.

Deputy Director of Cao Bang Department of Home Affairs Nguyen Ngoc Dinh said that Cao Bang has 75/199 commune-level administrative units and 3/11 district-level administrative units that do not meet both criteria and need to be rearranged.

However, Mr. Dinh is worried that the regulation that after 5 years, the staff and positions must be rearranged in accordance with regulations will be difficult for the locality. Because the number of redundant commune-level leaders and civil servants after the rearrangement is very large.

“Up to now, Cao Bang has 1,540 commune-level officials and civil servants. After the reorganization of 41 commune-level units, there are about 840 surplus people. Of these, 163 people are expected to retire at the right age.

While Cao Bang is supported by the Government to standardize commune-level officials, most of the officials have professional qualifications and are all young officials," the Deputy Director of the Cao Bang Department of Home Affairs cited and proposed to study and provide specific instructions on this matter.

Deputy Director of Hoa Binh Department of Home Affairs Bui Duy Phuong.

Deputy Director of the Department of Home Affairs of Hoa Binh Bui Duy Phuong also raised the issue of arranging the number of deputies. When rearranging, 3 communes can become 1 commune.

“In Hoa Binh, there was a case of merging 3 communes into 1, with 3 young chairmen. If the number of leaders is kept the same after the merger, there will be 3 chairmen and many vice chairmen. So how can we transfer them to ensure policies for cadres? If we keep them the same, it will be difficult,” Mr. Phuong wondered.

Deputy Head of the Organization Department of Lang Son Provincial Party Committee Trinh Tien Duy said that the locality is facing difficulties in transitioning the number of deputies after the 5-year arrangement. Specifically, how to choose the leaders when they are all young and capable cadres.

"When merging two communes, having two young and capable commune chairmen to decide who to choose is very difficult," the Deputy Head of the Organization Department of Lang Son Provincial Party Committee suggested that there should be guidance on this matter.

Deputy Head of the Organization Board of Lang Son Provincial Party Committee Trinh Tien Duy.

Mr. Nguyen Trong Nam - Deputy Director of Bac Giang Department of Home Affairs also complained: "Merging communes is the most difficult part of personnel work."

According to Mr. Nam, regarding the increase in the number of deputies, it is easy to arrange for the chairman, vice chairman, secretary, and deputy secretary, but for the unions (there are 5 unions) with full-time cadres, if 2 communes are merged, there will be 10 heads, demoting 5 of them to non-full-time deputy positions is not correct because they are full-time cadres.

The Deputy Director of the Department of Home Affairs of Bac Giang province said that the overall arrangement of this staff within 5 years must be calculated for the entire district.

For example, if a district only merges two communes, it must be distributed to other communes. Or it can be linked to the district level. Because commune-level civil servants are selected through examinations and have university degrees or higher, so being promoted to district-level civil servants is normal.

However, Mr. Nam is concerned that the district is currently streamlining its staff so there are not many staff left, so it will be difficult to promote commune officials.

Must boldly arrange redundant leadership

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Tran Anh Tuan suggested the option of transferring redundant leaders to places where there is a need. Currently, commune-level civil servants who meet the conditions and standards can be considered for transfer to become civil servants at the district level or higher.

“If 2 or 3 communes merge, there will only be 1 person as the chairman out of 2 or 3 commune chairmen. In other cases, if we connect them (regardless of commune civil servants and district civil servants or higher), we will follow a different policy, which is to receive and transfer work,” said the Deputy Minister.

Mr. Tuan also suggested that priority should be given in recruitment by the province, including ministries, branches, and the Central Government, to those who are working as civil servants at the commune level who meet the conditions and standards and wish to apply for civil service positions at agencies from the district level and above. This is a priority policy and also a solution to the problem of arrangement when there are many deputy heads and many heads.

“I think a commune should have one chairman and three vice-chairmen, and when merged, it should be just that. As for those who are capable, healthy, have enough qualities and meet the standards, we should create conditions and give them priority to transfer to state agencies in the province from the district level and above that are still lacking in staff.”

Standing member of the National Assembly's Law Committee Tran Hong Ha also acknowledged that it would be very difficult to immediately reduce the number of leaders when merging them in the current context.

“Re-merging will certainly result in a surplus of leaders and staff. This issue must be bold and decisive. Those who are about to retire should be allowed to retire early,” Mr. Ha emphasized, adding that arranging staff for 5 years is too long, and should be reduced to 3 years. After 3 years, the number of staff and leaders must be ensured according to regulations.

Minister of Home Affairs Le Vinh Tan

Minister of Home Affairs Le Vinh Tan also emphasized that localities need to closely follow Resolution 37 of the Politburo on the arrangement of administrative units at district and commune levels.

Accordingly, no later than 5 years from the date the competent authority decides to merge or consolidate, the staffing and number of deputies of the new administrative units must comply with regulations.

Mr. Tan said that localities have many ways to do this, they can arrange from commune level civil servants to district level, to move towards connecting commune, district and provincial level officials by 2021.