The resolution for streamlining the organizational apparatus was set forth in Resolution No. 18 at the 6th Plenum of the 12th Central Committee of the Communist Party in 2017.

Titled “Some Issues on Continuing to Innovate, Reorganize, and Streamline the Political System for Greater Efficiency and Effectiveness”, the initiative gained momentum in late 2024, with plans to complete the process by Q1/2025.

On September 20, 2024, at the closing of the 10th Plenum of the 13th Central Committee, General Secretary To Lam highlighted a strong consensus on focusing efforts to streamline the organizational structure of the Party, the National Assembly, the Government, the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF), and socio-political organizations to enhance efficiency.

The Party's goal includes refining its agencies into a true intellectual nucleus, the "general staff" spearheading state governance, and developing a cadre of leaders capable of meeting modern challenges.

On November 5, 2024, General Secretary To Lam reiterated this commitment in his article titled “Streamlined – Strong – Efficient – Effective”. He emphasized that the centennial anniversaries of the Communist Party and the nation demand extraordinary effort and synchronization in every step to achieve strategic goals.

Milestones in Implementation

November 25, 2024: At the closing of the 13th Central Committee Plenum, the General Secretary underscored the political determination needed to implement this streamlining revolution, noting the complexities involved but emphasizing its necessity for institutional health.

December 1, 2024: A national conference on Resolution No. 18 reviewed the progress of reorganization efforts. General Secretary To Lam acknowledged the difficulties, including impacts on individuals’ aspirations and interests, but affirmed the necessity of making sacrifices for the greater good.

Proposed Reforms Include:

Reducing a minimum of 4 Party agencies, 25 Party committees, and 16 Party-affiliated organizations at the central level while increasing 2 Party units.

Merging and dissolving government ministries and agencies to cut at least 5 ministries and 2 government agencies.

Reorganizing the National Assembly’s committees to reduce 4 committees and one subsidiary agency.

Streamlining member organizations within the VFF and related agencies.

Notably, several media outlets, including People’s Television, National Assembly TV, VOV TV, and VTC TV, will cease operations, transferring their functions to Vietnam Television.

To minimize disruptions, the Politburo temporarily halted civil service recruitment and appointment processes during the reorganization.

December 4, 2024: Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính chaired a government meeting emphasizing streamlined governance, legal frameworks, and a focus on talent retention while reducing redundancies.

December 6, 2024: Standing Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh announced plans to consolidate government ministries from 30 to 21 entities, cutting at least 15–20% of internal organizations within ministries.

Key Structural Reforms Include:

Heads of new entities after mergers may be selected from inside or outside the merged agencies.

Deputy positions may temporarily exceed regulations for up to five years, with gradual reductions.

Staff counts will not surpass pre-merger levels but will decrease over a five-year period.

December 30, 2024: The Politburo issued guidelines for 13 key Party-affiliated organizations, including the Central Party Organization Commission, the Central Inspection Commission, and the Vietnam Fatherland Front, to lead the reorganization effort as models.

December 31, 2024: Decree 178 was issued, outlining eight key policy groups for individuals affected by the reorganization:

Early retirement with three support schemes.

Severance policies for officials, public employees, and workers.

Rewards for leadership stepping down voluntarily.

Support for staff reassigned to local or grassroots levels.

Retention of highly capable and dedicated personnel.

Training and development programs.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that the reorganization must reduce intermediaries, eradicate bureaucracy, and adopt digital transformation to minimize corruption and inefficiencies. Moreover, he highlighted the need for fairness in decision-making, avoiding personal or organizational biases.

This comprehensive restructuring aims to position Vietnam’s political system as a model of streamlined efficiency and effectiveness, meeting the challenges of modern governance.

Thu Hang