The draft government decree stipulating the structure of specialized agencies under the provincial and district People's Committees, compiled by MHA, highlights several new points regarding the number of deputy directors in departments and the organizational structure of departments and sectors.

According to MHA, considering the functions and duties of departments after reorganization and streamlining, the ministry believes that it would be better to add 7-15 more deputy directors, in addition to a tentative regulation of allotting three deputy directors to each department.

Second-tier provinces can have no more than seven additional deputy directors, first-tier 10, and Hanoi/HCM City 15 deputy directors. Provincial people’s committees will determine the number of deputy directors for each department.

The new provisions in the draft decree aim to ensure timeliness and coherence in the process of arranging specialized agencies at local levels in tandem with rearranging ministries and branches at the central level.

Regarding the number of deputy heads of departments, the draft decree says that divisions under departments in Hanoi and HCM City that have 30 civil servants or more can have no more than four deputy heads (the regulation is not applied to department secretariat).

MHA believes the new provisions will facilitate the implementation of state management consulting work in the two cities.

MHA has also amended the draft for the number of deputy heads in divisions under sub-departments under departments. The subjects will apply the same regulations applied to divisions under departments.

Four specially-organized departments 

Regarding the organization of departments, in alignment with Conclusion No 09 from the Central Steering Committee and guidelines from the Government Steering Committee, MHA has proposed 16 departments. Of these, six departments will have stable names, functions and tasks; five departments will be formed after the merger of ministries at central level; and five other departments will include additional functions.

After the restructuring, 12 departments and branches will be uniformly organized and six will have special organization.

The departments and branches with uniform organization include the Department of Home Affairs; Department of Justice; Department of Finance; Department of Construction; Department of Agriculture and Environment; Department of Science and Technology; Department of Health; Department of Education and Training; Department of Industry and Trade; Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism; Inspectorate; and People's Committee Office.

Of these, five departments will form from merging 10 corresponding departments and branches at central level; and four departments will retain their structure but adopt additional responsibilities and functions.

These are: Department of Finance, established by merging the Department of Planning and Investment with the Department of Finance; Department of Construction will be formed by merging the Department of Transport with the Department of Construction (excluding the function of conducting driver’s license examinations); Department of Agriculture and Environment will be created by merging the Department of Natural Resources and Environment with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (with additional function of poverty reduction responsibilities transferred from the Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs); Department of Science and Technology will be set up from the existing Department of Information and Communications and the Department of Science and Technology; and Department of Home Affairs will be formed from merging the Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs with the Department of Home Affairs.

The Department of Health will take on responsibilities for state management regarding social protection, child welfare, social evils prevention (excluding drug rehabilitation and post-rehabilitation community management), and child protection funds from the Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs.

The Department of Education and Training will take over the functions and responsibilities for state management of vocational education from the Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs.

The Department of Industry and Trade will take over Market Surveillance Division under the Department of Industry and Trade and reorganize it as Market Surveillance Sub-departments under the Department of Industry and Trade.

The Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism will assume state management advisory roles for journalism and publishing from the Department of Information and Communications.

Four departments will have specialized organizations, including Department of Ethnic and Religious Affairs; Department of Foreign Affairs; Department of Tourism; and Department of Planning and Architecture. 

Thu Hang