Arrangement of specialized departments under the People's Committee at the commune level.

The Standing Committee of the Government held a meeting on the implementation of the two-tiered local government model on the morning of December 16th. After hearing reports and discussions, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra requested central ministries and agencies to review and improve the entire system of institutions and policies related to the operation of the two-tiered local government.

The Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Education and Training, and the Ministry of Health need to urgently address the remaining issues. The Ministry of Interior must soon finalize the decree amending and supplementing several articles of Decree No. 150/2025 regulating the organization of specialized agencies under the People's Committees of provinces and communes, wards, and special zones within provinces and cities, as an important legal basis for the reorganization of the local apparatus, especially at the commune level.

The Deputy Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Interior to take the lead in urging ministries and agencies to complete the process of responding to and clarifying the 355 issues that localities are still reporting as unresolved.

The principle is that any content already covered by guidelines but lacking clarity must be addressed with more specific instructions; any content that is overlapping or inadequate must be addressed with timely proposed adjustments. Relevant ministries and agencies must complete their assigned tasks, ensuring they are finalized within the stipulated timeframe.

The Deputy Prime Minister also requested that ministries and agencies continue to urge localities to promptly review and finalize provincial planning, considering this an important basis for implementing socio-economic development tasks.

Ministries and sectors need to focus on urging and guiding the restructuring of public service units, with a focus on education and health, in accordance with the Politburo's directives. At the same time, the Deputy Prime Minister noted the need for guidance on establishing public service units providing essential public services at the commune level, especially in the fields of agriculture, environment, and construction, to ensure the provision of multi-sectoral and multi-field services to meet the needs of the people.

The Ministry of Finance is focusing on addressing issues related to surplus public assets, equipment procurement, and working conditions.

Regarding local authorities, the Deputy Prime Minister requested an urgent review and completion of provincial planning; reorganization of the administrative apparatus; and ensuring that the staff of officials and civil servants meet the requirements for operating local government at the commune level.

The Deputy Prime Minister stated that the Ministry of Interior will soon advise on amending Decree 150 so that it can be issued before December 25th. This will allow localities to use the amended decree to reorganize specialized departments under the People's Committees at the commune level, and to allocate and strengthen the staff of officials and civil servants from the provincial level to the commune level.

In addition, localities are focusing on reorganizing public service units, while definitively resolving issues arising related to assets, facilities, and record keeping.

Regarding the training and professional development of officials and civil servants, the Deputy Prime Minister requested that localities proactively identify practical needs and organize implementation. The Ministry of Interior was urged to promptly finalize the training and professional development plan for officials and civil servants so that it can be implemented from January 1, 2026.

The Deputy Prime Minister particularly emphasized the need to accelerate internal administrative procedure reforms in conjunction with digital transformation. Internal administrative procedures in many localities remain complex, while some localities have not paid sufficient attention to this issue, yet are still proposing reforms to the central government.

Regarding the framework for the number of specialized departments under the People's Committee at the commune level, Decree 150 currently stipulates a framework of 3 specialized departments and a public administrative service center. The draft Decree amending Decree 150 stipulates that the establishment of additional specialized departments must meet the criteria according to the classification of administrative units in communes and wards of type 1 with over 35,000 inhabitants and in special zones with over 35,000 inhabitants.

Accordingly, localities should determine the number of specialized departments under the People's Committee at the commune level based on the actual situation, ensuring that it does not exceed an average of 4.5 departments and equivalents per commune-level administrative unit.