Why does the Ministry of Home Affairs propose to increase the number of commune-level cadres and civil servants by 7,418?

Allocation of commune-level cadres and civil servants according to administrative unit classification

The current allocation of commune-level cadres and civil servants is arranged according to the classification of commune-level administrative units.

From 2010 to June 25, 2019 (according to Decree No. 92/2009), the number of commune-level cadres and civil servants of type I is no more than 25 people; type II is no more than 23 people; type III is no more than 21 people.

Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra.

Implementing Resolution 18 of the 6th Central Committee, Session XII, on innovation and reorganization of the political system to be streamlined and operate effectively and efficiently, the Ministry of Home Affairs has submitted to the Government Decree 34/2019/ND-CP. Accordingly, from June 25, 2019, the number of cadres and civil servants at the commune level will be reduced by 2 people: Type I no more than 23 people; Type II no more than 21 people; Type III no more than 19 people.

The number of non-professional workers at the commune level also decreased accordingly from type I from no more than 22 people to 14 people; type II from no more than 20 people to 12 people; type III from no more than 19 people to a maximum of 10 people.

Communes with large population, high work pressure and many difficulties

Recently, when implementing the policy of arranging regular police to communes, communes continued to reduce the number of commune police chief positions by one more position.

According to data from the Ministry of Home Affairs, after the reorganization of commune-level administrative units, the country has 10,599 commune-level administrative units with a total of 212,606 officials and civil servants (an average of 20.6 people/commune). This number is a decrease of 20,833 people compared to 2015 (equivalent to a decrease of about 9%).

In recent times, many unreasonable things have arisen, especially the requirement to arrange administrative units at the commune level, the area after the merger is large, the population is increasing; along with that, in urban areas, the mechanical population is increasing rapidly, leading to an increase in the workload in many administrative units at the commune level, creating great pressure on the team of cadres and civil servants at the commune level.

The number of commune-level officials and civil servants differs by only a few people in each place, but the population size between commune-level administrative units is very different.

Typically, Long Binh ward, Bien Hoa city (Dong Nai province) has a high population of over 130,500 people; Song Da ward, Muong Lay town (Dien Bien province) has the lowest population of 1,008 people. Or a commune in Binh Chanh district (HCMC) has a population of nearly 130,000 people, and a commune in Lang Son province has a population of 400 people.

Therefore, for commune-level administrative units with large populations, work pressure is very high and there are many difficulties.

Proposal to increase commune-level cadres and civil servants according to population size

Synthesizing from local and voters' recommendations nationwide in the past 3 years sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs, many opinions suggest increasing the number of commune-level cadres and civil servants according to population size; adding the position of civil servant of the Party Committee Office, the position of Chairman of the Inspection Committee...

To solve this problem, the Ministry of Home Affairs has proposed many bold policy mechanisms in the draft Decree of the Government regulating communal-level cadres, civil servants and non-professional workers at the communal, village and residential group levels.

On the basis of maintaining the current regulations on the number of cadres and civil servants according to administrative unit classification, the Ministry of Home Affairs proposes to supplement regulations on increasing the number of commune-level civil servants and non-professional workers at the commune level in units with large populations.

Specifically, for wards belonging to districts: For every 5,000 additional people, 1 civil servant will be counted. For wards belonging to provincial cities, cities belonging to centrally-run cities: For every 3,500 additional people, 1 civil servant will be counted.

Wards in towns and communes in mountainous and highland areas: For every increase of 2,500 people, 1 more civil servant will be counted. Towns and communes in the plains: For every increase of 4,000 people, 1 more civil servant will be counted. Communes and towns in islands: For every increase of 1,600 people, 1 more civil servant will be counted. Wards in islands: For every increase of 1,400 people, 1 more civil servant will be counted.

The number of non-professional workers also increases in proportion to the number of cadres and civil servants. The number of commune-level cadres and civil servants and non-professional workers at the commune level increases according to the population without a maximum limit but does not exceed the total number of the whole province.

According to calculations by the Ministry of Home Affairs, with the above regulations, it is necessary to increase 7,418 commune-level officials and civil servants and 7,418 non-professional workers.

While the whole country is streamlining its staff, the Ministry of Home Affairs still boldly proposes to increase the staff at the commune level to solve practical problems.

That is why Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra was very determined: "There are things we have to think a little differently about and will report to the competent authority."

This is also the content that received the consensus and support of provinces and cities across the country at the three recent conferences to collect comments on the draft decree in the three regions: North, Central, and South.

Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra said that this content will be submitted to the Government for comments. After the Government agrees, these proposals will be submitted to the Politburo for comments.