General Secretary: 'If you can't do it, you should bring a book and learn.'

Continuing the agenda of the 9th Extraordinary Session, this morning (February 13), National Assembly deputies discussed in groups two draft laws: the Law on Government Organization (amended), the Law on Local Government Organization (amended), and the draft Resolution of the National Assembly stipulating the handling of some issues related to the reorganization of the State apparatus.

"Streamlining the system to save money is only part of the solution."

Speaking at the working session, General Secretary To Lam stated that the work of streamlining the apparatus has received the approval and support of the people, organizations, and agencies, and has been implemented very quickly and effectively.

"This is a very correct policy, something the people have long awaited. Streamlining to save money is only part of it; more importantly, the efficiency, effectiveness, and effectiveness of the apparatus, leading the country to development and improving the people's lives, is what we most desire. If we want development and breakthroughs, we must do this," the General Secretary emphasized.

The General Secretary also pointed out two very important tasks among the many tasks that need to be done to achieve the above goal.

First, there must be economic growth, which will improve people's living standards and satisfy their ever-increasing needs in all aspects. This is the overarching goal. We cannot talk about achieving significant growth figures without improving people's living standards; if that were the case, where would the growth go?

Secondly, it is necessary to streamline the organizational structure and improve the legal regulatory system to mobilize the strength of the entire society. Along with that, it is crucial to deploy personnel to enhance law enforcement.

“The organizational model has been established, and the people have agreed, from the central government to the National Assembly, the Government, and the grassroots. As for how to implement it, we are currently amending the legal regulations. Next, we will assign officials to carry out the tasks, wholeheartedly serving the people,” said Mr. To Lam.

General Secretary To Lam also analyzed that the Central Committee's resolutions over many terms have assessed the cumbersome and inefficient apparatus. The 13th Congress continues to conduct reviews and implement these resolutions, because now is a golden opportunity, preparing for the 14th Congress.

Throughout this process, thorough research has been conducted on domestic practices and the experiences of other countries. It has been observed that these countries all consider the efficiency of the administrative apparatus, the satisfaction of the people, and have criteria for evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of the apparatus; they also pay attention to leadership capacity, long-term vision, adaptability, and innovation of the government.

"To develop a socialist-oriented market economy, the legal system and policies must ensure that goal is achieved. Improving the legal framework requires the participation of the entire population, not just the National Assembly, the Government, or specific ministries," the General Secretary noted.

Along with that, we must consider the ability to coordinate, the capacity to implement policies, and the quality and effectiveness; and the ability to manage the budget. The General Secretary raised the question: with such national potential, why isn't the country developing? How complicated are the regulations for public investment that the state funds are not being spent? What are provincial and city chairmen doing when, at the beginning of their term, the higher authorities have already allocated funds for the next five years, specifying which funds should be used for salt and which for rice, and doing otherwise would be a violation.

"The budget management model is flawed. Sometimes I wonder if the city chairman is the one with the easiest job because he makes all the decisions; if he did otherwise, he'd be finished. Even land needs to be approved by higher authorities, so how can he decide on investments? What does he do every day? How can he be dynamic and creative?" according to Mr. To Lam.

"It has to be done, there's no other way."

Another point emphasized by the General Secretary was the need to consider market competitiveness and the nation's position in the international arena. While the achievements are great, looking at many other countries reveals that Vietnam is lagging behind, and national competitiveness faces significant challenges.

Citing the stories of Singapore, South Korea, and China, all of whom rose from difficult circumstances to achieve remarkable development, the General Secretary said: “Like Singapore, in the past, they said that going to Cho Ray Hospital for treatment was a dream. Looking back 50 or 60 years, we now dream of going there for medical checkups. When China opened up, it had a similar level of development, and now its per capita income is 12,000-15,000 USD, while ours is not even 5,000 USD.”

As the Malaysian leader once told him, "If you continue like this, you will never catch up with us. If you innovate and rethink your approach, you will have a significant advantage over us." This reality is a manifestation of the risk of falling behind, a risk that our Party recognized right from the Sixth Party Congress…

Raising the question of whether achieving goals requires very high and rapid development, but whether a cumbersome bureaucracy can fully utilize its potential, the General Secretary stated that this is only the initial stage of restructuring, and further research and evaluation of the government apparatus's efficiency and effectiveness are still ongoing.

"The fact that Dong Anh District and Hoan Kiem District collected tens of trillions of dong, many times more than many provinces, is something worth thinking about. With limited population and land, how can these districts achieve this while entire provinces cannot? We need to bring books and learn from them," the General Secretary stated, highlighting the reality and emphasizing the need for evaluation and lessons learned.

Emphasizing that reform is necessary for growth, General Secretary To Lam stated that only growth provides the funds to implement policies, eliminates the risk of falling behind, and ensures the firm protection of the Fatherland.

"There is no other way. To unleash the development potential of the entire society, the system must serve society and motivate the people. Anything that hinders our development, anything that is a bottleneck, must be resolved. The whole society is transforming, and everyone must think about how to implement it," said General Secretary To Lam.

Regarding the question of whether the national government should have 3 or 4 levels, the General Secretary stated that 80% of countries have a 3-level government. In Vietnam, the police are conducting pilot studies first, eliminating district-level police. According to him, the people would be happy if regular police officers were deployed to communes. Because everything from household registration, car and motorbike registration, to even investigations… can be handled.

"Some argue that China, with its large land area and population, has fewer provinces and cities than we do. We need to consider this. Some provinces have developed significantly after being separated, while others say they've run out of space and can only merge into regional areas. That's why we have regional councils, and therefore, further research is needed. We must adhere closely to the goal of national development and better serve the people. If we see a solution, we must implement it," said General Secretary To Lam.