General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong: 'Organization and staffing are increasingly bloated'

Up to now, the organizational structure of the political system is still cumbersome, multi-layered, ineffective and inefficient; functions and tasks still overlap.

Implementing the working program of the entire term, on the morning of October 4, the 6th Conference of the 12th Party Central Committee solemnly opened in Hanoi. We respectfully introduce the full text of the important opening speech of the Conference by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong delivers the opening speech at the 6th Central Conference. Photo: VNA

Dear Central Committee comrades,

Dear Conference attendees,

According to the Working Regulations, the Party Central Office has sent documents for you to study in advance and prepare your comments at the Conference. Next, I would like to make a few suggestions, note, and emphasize some issues, hoping that you will pay attention during the discussion, consideration, and decision-making process.

1. On the socio-economic and financial-budget situation in 2017, the projected socio-economic development plan and financial-budget estimate for 2018.

This is a regular annual task at the year-end conferences of the Central Executive Committee to review the socio-economic, financial and budgetary situation of the country, clearly see the advantages and disadvantages in the leadership and direction of the Party Central Committee, the National Assembly, the Government, and the entire political system; thereby promoting the good aspects, promptly adjusting and correcting the bad aspects, contributing significantly to the successful implementation of the annual and 5-year socio-economic development goals and tasks set out. Therefore, it has very practical significance.

I request that you carefully study the Submission and Report of the Government Party Committee and, based on the actual situation at home and abroad as well as in the sectors, fields and working areas, discuss, analyze and evaluate objectively and comprehensively the situation in the first 9 months of the year and forecast for the rest of the year. Point out the outstanding results and achievements that have been achieved, the remaining limitations and weaknesses, especially the newly emerging positive factors and the newly emerging outstanding issues.

Pay attention to comparing with the goals and tasks set out in the Resolution of the 12th National Congress and the Central Committee's resolutions on rapid and sustainable socio-economic development; implementing three strategic breakthroughs; innovating the growth model, restructuring the economy; perfecting the socialist-oriented market economic institution; innovating and improving the efficiency of state-owned enterprises; developing the private economy to truly become an important driving force of the economy...

In particular, it is necessary to clarify the reasons why some tasks have not been completed, some targets have been lower or not achieved in the first 6 months of the year compared to the same period last year, although the domestic and international situation in 2017 was generally more favorable than in 2016.

On that basis, forecast the possibilities that may occur in the coming time, anticipate the difficulties and challenges that need to be overcome, especially the difficulties and challenges in overcoming the inherent and long-standing limitations and weaknesses of the economy; financial and monetary risks, especially when public debt and bad debt are still high, many state-owned enterprises are making losses. Clearly identify the most important and basic goals and targets for 2018; propose highly feasible policies and measures, especially breakthrough policies and measures to innovate the growth model, restructure the economy, restructure the state budget, control public debt; restructure the system of credit institutions associated with bad debt handling.

Accelerate restructuring of public investment, state-owned enterprises, and public service units. Improve growth quality and the investment and business environment to mobilize and use resources more effectively, ensuring rapid and sustainable development in terms of economy, society, and environment.

2. On the work of protecting, caring for and improving people's health

Up to now, our Party and State have always determined that health is the most valuable asset of each person and of the whole society; caring for, protecting and improving people's health is a particularly important task, related to everyone, every family and is of interest to the whole society, has profound political, social and humanistic significance, demonstrating the superior and good nature of our regime. On January 14, 1993, the 7th Central Executive Committee issued a specialized Resolution on urgent issues of people's health care. In 2005, the 9th Politburo also issued a Resolution on this issue. Since then, the Politburo and the Secretariat have issued 8 directives, 3 conclusions, 4 announcements and regularly paid attention to leading, directing and urging implementation.

Under the leadership of the Central Committee, the entire Party, people and army, especially the team of doctors and health workers nationwide, have strived to implement many policies and measures to strengthen the protection, care and improvement of people's health, achieving many important results. Our country is assessed by the World Health Organization as a bright spot in implementing the Millennium Goals in the field of health protection and care.

However, in response to new requirements in the new development stage of the country, the work of protecting, caring for and improving people's health has also revealed many weaknesses and shortcomings, resulting in a number of incidents and incidents that have caused social outrage. In order to promote the results and achievements that have been achieved, and to do better in protecting, caring for and improving people's health in the new situation, the Central Executive Committee needs to discuss and issue a resolution on this issue.

Opening of the 6th Central Conference.

Based on the Reports, Projects and Submissions of the Politburo, and based on the actual situation, it is recommended that the Central Committee discuss, analyze in depth, and reach a high consensus on the results, advantages, achievements as well as the limitations, weaknesses and lessons learned in the work of protecting, caring for and improving people's health in the past time; point out the opportunities and advantages that need to be promptly grasped and the difficulties and challenges that need to be overcome in the coming time. From there, determine the viewpoints, goals and main tasks and solutions that need to be grasped and implemented in the new period.

Regarding opportunities and advantages, is it necessary to mention the results and achievements in this field as well as the historical achievements of 30 years of innovation; the remarkable development of medical science and technology under the impact of the 4th industrial revolution and globalization and international integration?... Regarding difficulties and challenges, is it necessary to mention the limitations and weaknesses in the medical field and related fields; rapid changes in living conditions, lifestyles, living and working environments, and epidemics; limited State resources while mobilizing social resources still faces many difficulties?...

Regarding lessons learned, is it necessary to emphasize and affirm the leadership role of the Party, the management of the State, the active participation of the entire political system and the entire population; the leading role of hospitals and public health facilities; the significance and importance of properly applying the market mechanism to mobilize, allocate and effectively use all resources for protecting, caring for and improving people's health in association with ensuring the socialist orientation and the superiority of our regime, as we have developed a grassroots health system, managed and cared for people's health in each commune, ward, agency and unit in the years when the country was much more difficult than it is now.

In terms of viewpoints and orientations, is it necessary to emphasize better combination between disease prevention and treatment; between care and protection; between Eastern and Western medicine; between grassroots health care and upper-level health care; between state budget investment and increased autonomy and socialization; between universal health care and training of good, leading doctors and experts,...?

3. On population work in the new situation

This is a very big and difficult issue, of special importance, related to the protection and development of the race, nation and people. Over the past 25 years, our whole country has persistently and resolutely implemented the population policy and family planning, each couple has only 2 children according to the spirit of Resolution 4 of the 7th Central Committee. Besides the results and achievements that have been achieved, there are still many limitations, weaknesses, and new problems that need to be promptly addressed. For example: The birth rate between regions still has a significant difference.

The gender imbalance at birth is increasing rapidly, has reached a serious level and is increasingly widespread. Our country is entering the period of "population aging", facing the risk of "getting old before getting rich", missing the opportunity of the "golden population period". Population management, migration management, especially free migration, still has many shortcomings. Population quality, especially height and physical strength, is slowly improving. Child marriage and incestuous marriage still occur in some ethnic minority areas; the rate of people with disabilities in the population is still high...

Based on the consensus on the situation and development trends in the coming time, it is recommended that the Central Committee analyze in depth the causes of the above limitations and weaknesses, draw lessons from the successes and failures of population work in our country and refer to the world's experiences. From there, propose guiding viewpoints, goals and tasks, and appropriate solutions to seize favorable opportunities, overcome difficulties and challenges, and do better in population work in the new situation.

Is it true that in the coming time, our country needs to shift its focus from population policy and family planning to population and development? What is the specific content of those concepts? What is their practical significance? Focus on analyzing the basis and necessity, correctness of shifting the focus from reducing population growth through thoroughly and simultaneously implementing the policy of each couple having only two children to controlling the size and improving the quality of the population through the policy of maintaining the replacement level of fertility.

Pay attention to the feasibility and suitability of the selected objectives and the proposed policies and measures. Especially the selected options on population size and policies to ensure comprehensive and synchronous solutions to population issues such as: Maintaining the replacement fertility rate; bringing the sex ratio at birth to a natural balance; making the best use of the golden population structure conditions; adapting to population aging; managing migration well, especially spontaneous migration; improving population quality...

4. Some issues on continuing to innovate and streamline the political system's organizational structure to make it lean, effective and efficient.

The Politburo's Proposal and Report clearly stated the significance, importance, necessity and scope of the Project "Some issues on continuing to innovate and reorganize the apparatus of the political system to be streamlined, effective and efficient". The Politburo recognized that this is a very big and important issue, but also very difficult, complicated and sensitive, because it is related to basic theoretical issues on the Party's leadership method, the State's management role and the people's mastery; on innovation of the political system in sync with economic innovation; on the relationship between the State, the market and society; related to the interests, thoughts and feelings of cadres, civil servants, public employees and workers...

Over the years, our Party has issued and regularly paid attention to leading and directing the implementation of many policies, resolutions and conclusions on building the organizational apparatus of the political system. The Party, State, Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations have been gradually arranged and consolidated; the functions, tasks and working relationships of organizations in the political system have been more reasonably defined and adjusted; ensuring the leadership role of the Party, the management of the State, the mastery of the people and have achieved important results, contributing to the great and historic achievements of the renovation cause.

However, up to now, the organizational structure of the political system is still cumbersome, multi-layered, ineffective and inefficient; the functions and tasks of some organizations are overlapping; the internal structure is not reasonable; the organizational structure of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and other organizations, public service units is slow to be innovated; the organization and staff are increasingly bloated; the number of deputies and people enjoying the "title" regime is unreasonable; the structure and quality of the staff, civil servants and public employees still have many shortcomings; the number of indirect service workers is too large while there is a lack of direct professional human resources. The number of people receiving salaries and allowances from the state budget in public service units and part-time workers at the commune level is increasing.

I request that you focus on researching and objectively and comprehensively assessing the situation and causes, especially the causes of limitations and weaknesses. At the same time, from your leadership and management experience at work; research and apply lessons learned from summarizing theories and practices over 30 years of innovation, focus on contributing many valid opinions, supplementing and perfecting viewpoints, goals, tasks and solutions in the coming time.

Is it necessary to pay special attention to ensuring innovation, comprehensiveness, systematization, synchronization, and connectivity; harmoniously combining inheritance and stability with innovation and development; not rushing from one extreme to the other; linking innovation in organizational apparatus with innovation in leadership methods, with streamlining payroll and salary reform; harmoniously handling the relationship between the state, the market, and society?

The tasks and solutions proposed must be appropriate, feasible, have a roadmap, and be on a steady path, meeting both immediate and long-term requirements, contributing to solving practical problems facing the organization and apparatus of the entire political system as well as specific organizations of the Party, the State, the Vietnam Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations, especially the organization and apparatus within each agency and unit. Should we resolutely do immediately the tasks that are clear and mature; and actively research and boldly pilot the tasks that are not clear enough, too complicated, and have many different opinions, then summarize and gradually expand?...

5. On continuing to innovate the organization and management system, improving the quality and efficiency of operations of public service units

In recent times, our Party and State have issued many important documents and actively led and directed the entire political system to organize the implementation of many policies and measures to innovate the organization and operation of public service units, achieving important initial results. However, there are still many shortcomings and weaknesses that cause social outrage and many difficulties and challenges to overcome, especially in reorganizing and innovating mechanisms and policies to better promote the intelligence and dedication of a large number of intellectuals, experts, scientists and high-quality technical workers in this field, improving the quality of public services, meeting the increasing needs of the people; at the same time contributing to solving the problem of organization, staffing, and reforming the salary regime of the entire political system.

Delegates attending the 6th Central Conference.

Up to now, not to mention the organization and staffing in the police, army and state-owned enterprise sector, the whole country has had about 58 thousand public service units with 2.5 million staff; playing a leading role, providing most public service services, related to everyone, every family and the whole society such as: Medical services, education - training, science - technology, culture, sports... Therefore, the innovation of organization, improvement of service quality and operational efficiency of public service units is extremely necessary, has profound political, economic, cultural, social and humanistic significance, contributing to the cause of rapid and sustainable development of the country in the direction of socialism, demonstrating the superiority of our regime.

It is recommended that the Central Committee focus on objectively and comprehensively analyzing and assessing the situation, causes and lessons learned. Pay attention to in-depth analysis of the significance and importance of continuing to promote innovation in public service units as well as innovation in state-owned enterprises, which needs to be carried out synchronously, drastically but cautiously, firmly and placed in the overall continued innovation of the political system's apparatus; the need to promote the socialization of public services (socialization but not commercialization), promoting the positive aspects and limiting the negative aspects of the market mechanism and international integration.

Clearly define the leadership role of the Party, the management of the State, the mastery of the people; the role and position of public service units in the conditions of developing a socialist-oriented market economy, international integration and the fourth industrial revolution.

From there, propose viewpoints, goals and directions to continue promoting organizational innovation, improving service quality and operational efficiency of public service units associated with ensuring political and social stability in general and each specific sector and field in particular. Pay attention to inheriting and promoting the results and achievements that have been achieved; based on the reality and development level of our country to review, supplement and synchronously perfect the system of mechanisms and policies with high feasibility, especially new and breakthrough mechanisms and policies.

Dear comrades,

The content of the program of this Central Conference addresses many broad issues, both fundamental and urgent, related to annual socio-economic development, social development innovation, political innovation in sync with economic development innovation in the spirit of the Resolution of the 12th National Party Congress. All are important, complex and sensitive issues, directly affecting the lives of the people, the majority of cadres, civil servants, public employees and workers nationwide, and receiving special attention and expectations from society.

I request that comrades promote a high sense of responsibility, focus on research, discuss enthusiastically, give opinions to complete reports, projects, draft resolutions, conclusions of the Central Committee and consider and decide on a number of other important issues at the end of the session.

In that spirit, I hereby declare open the 6th Conference of the 12th Party Central Committee. I wish the Conference great success.

Thank you very much./.

According to VOV