Prime Minister: Immediately replace and transfer evasive and shirking officials

On April 19, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh signed and issued an official dispatch on rectification and strengthening of responsibility in handling work of ministries, agencies and localities.

The dispatch clearly stated that recently, in reality, in a number of ministries, agencies, localities and a number of cadres and civil servants, there has been a situation of avoiding and pushing work, being hesitant, afraid of making mistakes, afraid of responsibility, not daring to advise, propose handling of work, not deciding on work within their authority.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh: Do not transfer work under the authority of your ministry or agency to another ministry or agency.

There are cases where work is pushed to higher-level agencies or to other ministries and agencies, lacking close, timely and effective coordination between ministries, agencies and localities...

This situation leads to prolonged work processing, hindering and reducing the effectiveness and efficiency of the direction and administration of authorities at all levels. In particular, some places are very stagnant, reducing the trust of people and businesses in state agencies, affecting the implementation of the proposed socio-economic development goals.

Do not answer in a general, irresponsible or evasive manner.

To rectify existing shortcomings and limitations, enhance responsibility, promote the spirit of daring to speak, daring to think, daring to act for the benefit of the country and the people in ministries, agencies, localities, cadres and civil servants; overcome the situation of pushing and avoiding responsibility in handling work; ensure discipline and administrative discipline and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of direction and administration; the Prime Minister made a series of requests.

Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of agencies under the Government, the Prime Minister requires them to take personal, direct and comprehensive responsibility before the Government, the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Ministers and before the law for matters within their authority, assigned, authorized and tasked.

The Prime Minister noted that work under the authority of one's ministry or agency should not be transferred to another ministry or agency; work determined to be under the authority of another ministry or agency should not be handled; documents should be returned to agencies, units, and localities for comments if they are not within the authority or within the authority of the agency or unit requesting comments.

When handling work, the minister and head of the presiding agency must proactively and actively coordinate effectively; do not seek coordination opinions from unrelated or unnecessary agencies, which will affect the progress of work processing. The ministry and agency that is consulted has the responsibility to respond on time, with clear opinions; do not respond generally, irresponsibly or avoid responsibility.

In case the consulted ministry or agency fails to respond or is slow to respond within the prescribed time limit, it shall be deemed to agree with the opinions and proposals of the consulted agency in accordance with the provisions of the Government's working regulations. The consulted agency shall notify in writing, and the ministry or agency that fails to respond or is slow to respond shall be responsible before the law, the Government, and the Prime Minister.

For documents, proposals, and projects submitted to the Government and the Prime Minister that still have different opinions among ministries and agencies on the main contents of the project, the minister and head of the presiding agency must uphold personal responsibility and proactively work directly with the minister and head of the agency that has different opinions to discuss and reach an agreement before submitting to the Government and the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister also requested that the chairmen of the People's Committees of provinces and cities be responsible for deciding on issues within their authority or delegated or authorized according to the provisions of law; not submit or report on work within their authority to the Government, the Prime Minister and ministries and central agencies; not abuse the process of consulting central agencies to avoid responsibility...

Individualizing collective and individual responsibility in performing public duties

The Prime Minister requested ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government agencies, and chairmen of provincial and municipal People's Committees to specify and individualize the powers and responsibilities of collectives and individuals in each stage of the work processing process, absolutely not allowing the shifting or evasion of responsibility, ensuring that work under their authority must be handled quickly, promptly, and shortening the implementation time.

Along with that, strengthen the inspection of public service activities, especially surprise inspections; promptly review, replace or transfer to other jobs for officials and civil servants with weak capacity, who do not dare to do, avoid, push, lack responsibility, delay and do not meet the work requirements assigned by competent authorities.

In cases of shirking, evasion, or lack of responsibility leading to delays or failure to decide on issues and tasks within one's authority, the collective and individual responsibilities involved must be reviewed and handled in accordance with Party and State regulations. At the same time, any acts of harassment, corruption, and negativity must be strictly handled.

The Prime Minister also noted, commended, and promptly and appropriately rewarded agencies, collectives, cadres, and civil servants who were resolute in performing their duties, completed their tasks well, dared to speak, think, act, and were proactive and creative for the common good.

The Head of Government assigned the Minister of Home Affairs to preside over the urgent review and propose solutions to perfect legal regulations to create a safe and complete legal environment and corridor for ministries, agencies, localities, cadres and civil servants to confidently perform their public duties as prescribed.

At the same time, specify the process and individualize the responsibilities of collectives and individuals in performing public duties to ensure that there is no evasion or shirking of responsibility in handling work; report and propose to the Prime Minister in May.

The Ministry of Home Affairs urgently completes the draft Decree on encouraging and protecting dynamic, creative cadres who dare to think, dare to do, and dare to make breakthroughs for the common good, and reports to the Government this June.

The Prime Minister emphasized the need to resolutely overcome the situation of shirking responsibility, avoiding responsibility, not daring to do, not daring to advise, propose, not daring to take responsibility in agencies, units, cadres and civil servants, shortening the time to process work and improving the effectiveness and efficiency of direction and administration.