Positive signals after administrative unit arrangement and streamlining in Nghe An

The pressures

Implementing the policy of rearranging district- and commune-level administrative units for the 2023-2025 period according to Resolution No. 35, dated July 12, 2023 of the National Assembly Standing Committee, Nghe An province has developed a project, plan, and a roadmap of methodical steps to submit to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Government for approval before submitting to the National Assembly Standing Committee to issue Resolution No. 1243, dated October 24, 2024 on rearranging district- and commune-level administrative units of Nghe An province for the 2023-2025 period.

Based on Resolution No. 1243 of the National Assembly Standing Committee, by December 25, 2024, the merged units in the province had completed the announcement of the establishment of new administrative units, associated with the establishment of organizations, personnel work, and putting the new apparatus into operation. Accordingly, Nghe An reduced 1 district-level administrative unit and 48 commune-level administrative units; currently the whole province has 20 district-level administrative units and 412 commune-level administrative units.

The large number of redundant cadres and civil servants has created pressure for each locality in arranging, assigning, and resolving the surplus. In addition to the pressure on the number of redundant cadres and civil servants, there is also the fact that there are 3-5 people taking on a job, comrade Trinh Van Nha - Deputy Secretary of the District Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Committee of Thanh Chuong district said:

The evaluation and classification of cadres, especially civil servants of some commune-level units, is not substantial. Despite limited capacity and incomplete work assignments, especially in digital transformation, online public services, and digital government construction, the evaluation and classification still complete and complete tasks well, so there is no basis for dismissal according to regulations.

Thanh Chuong district is large, the geographical distance from the merged unit with surplus cadres and civil servants to the commune lacking cadres and civil servants is 50km, if transferring cadres and civil servants with such a long travel distance is also a concern of the organization. Along with that, during the research process in some localities, we have recorded more difficulties and pressures when many cadres and civil servants are young, have qualifications, capacity, experience, prestige and want to continue to work in the apparatus.

Positive signal

Despite the difficulties and pressures in arranging, assigning and resolving redundant cadres and civil servants, however, thanks to good propaganda and ideological work, especially the fair and objective arrangement and assignment of cadres in merged units, it has created a high consensus among cadres, party members and people, especially those directly affected by the merger policy. There have been hundreds of voluntary applications for early retirement and resignation.

Among hundreds of applications for early retirement in Nghe An, besides those who are less than 5 years from the legal retirement age, there are also many people who have more than 10 years of work left.

Mr. Duong Hai Long, former land official of Nghi Lien commune (Vinh city) is an example. When he quit his job on January 1, 2025, Mr. Long had only 13 years of social insurance participation and 25 years left to reach the retirement age according to regulations, but he thought: "I am still young, have a business base and conditions, plus capital from the State's policy to support officials and civil servants to quit their jobs, apply for leave to go out to work, find new opportunities for myself".

Mr. Bui Van Hoe - former Chairman of the Fatherland Front Committee of Thanh Mai commune (Thanh Chuong district), has more than 8 years left until retirement age according to regulations, and has also voluntarily applied for early retirement from January 1, 2025.

Mr. Hoe said: “The two communes of Thanh Mai and Thanh Giang merged into one, leaving many redundant officials and civil servants. With the State’s policies meeting our wishes and the conditions to do business after retiring early, I should take the initiative to return to create opportunities for the organization to arrange and for young officials to contribute.”

For Mr. Tran Van Nguyen - Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Thuan Long Commune (Quynh Luu District), there are still 6 years left until the retirement age according to regulations, but Mr. Long confided: "Thuan Long Commune was merged from Quynh Long and Quynh Thuan Communes, currently the locality has 5 deputy secretaries of the Party Committee, including 1 deputy secretary in charge of the People's Council of the Commune, 1 deputy secretary in charge of the People's Committee of the Commune and 3 deputy secretaries in charge of Party building work. Because there are 3 deputy secretaries in charge of Party building work, the work is too leisurely, "going in, going out" feels self-respect and on the basis of studying regulations as well as policies, among the 3 deputy secretaries, I am the one who is eligible to retire early, so I am currently submitting an application to retire before the time of the Commune Party Congress for the term 2025 - 2030, both to facilitate the organization's arrangement and for myself".

The fact that many officials and civil servants voluntarily apply to resign and retire early is a good sign, affirming the policy of streamlining the apparatus, restructuring the staff and civil servants in the apparatus, along with the policy of resolving redundancy of the Central and the province, which is creating high consensus among those directly affected.

In Xuan Duong commune (Thanh Chuong district), when merging Xuan Tuong and Thanh Duong communes, there were a total of 38 cadres and civil servants, and the planned arrangement in the new unit was 20 cadres and civil servants; the surplus was 18 people (including 7 cadres and 11 civil servants).

To facilitate the organization of staff and civil servants, up to now, 5 staff, including 2 secretaries, chairmen of the People's Council of the commune, 1 deputy secretary of the Party Committee, 1 vice chairman of the People's Committee, 1 vice chairman of the Farmers' Association of the commune have voluntarily retired before the age.

Comrade Vo Thi Quyen - Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Committee of Xuan Duong commune, said: "The proactiveness, pioneering and exemplary behavior of the cadres who voluntarily retired before the age has created conditions for the organization to arrange and assign cadres, and those who remain like me see our responsibility to make more efforts and try harder to work with the collective to bring Xuan Duong commune to greater development in the coming time."

Currently, the regime and policies for cadres, civil servants and public employees in the implementation of the organizational arrangement of the political system according to Decree No. 178, dated December 31, 2024 of the Government and Resolution No. 18, dated October 18, 2024 of the People's Council of Nghe An province are meeting the wishes of cadres, civil servants and public employees. Therefore, in the process of approaching the grassroots, we have also recorded many thoughts, concerns and worries, when the regime and policies to support people who quit their jobs and retire early are very beneficial for those who need to quit their jobs.

However, that also leads to the fact that many capable, responsible, innovative, creative, daring people "quit" state jobs to work outside the government. Meanwhile, the goal of restructuring the organization is to streamline, operate effectively, efficiently, and effectively, associated with reducing staff and restructuring, improving the quality of the staff, civil servants, and public employees.

Therefore, according to many opinions from the proposed base: The arrangement, assignment and settlement of cadres, civil servants and public employees need to be carried out strictly, scientifically and effectively. The organization needs to evaluate, consider screening, and review each specific case, and need to retain cadres, civil servants and public employees who are truly beneficial to the collective and the organization, not everyone who applies for leave agrees to resign to resolve the surplus in a mechanical way. By doing so, the arrangement of the apparatus organization can truly achieve the ultimate goal of improving the efficiency, effectiveness and efficiency of the apparatus's operations.