The report said that as of September 30, 17 general directorates and equivalent units had been cut under the reorganization of the administrative apparatus. It is expected that ministries will have only 13 general directorates.

In localities, seven departments and 2,159 sections under departments and under district people’s committees have been cut. The number of non-business public units under the management of ministries, branches and localities has been reduced by 13.5 percent (7.469 units) to 47,744.

Except for the Ministries of National Defense and Public Security, before the rearrangement, the ministries and branches had 30 general directorates and equivalent. Decrees stipulating the duties, functions, rights and organizational structure of units have been issued, while some general directorates have been cut.

The government, for example, issued Decree 68/2022 on the duties, functions, rights and organizational structure of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, replacing Decree 36 released in 2017.

Under the new decree, four general directorates have been cut, including the Vietnam Environment Administration, General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam, Vietnam General Department of Land Administration, Vietnam Administration of Seas and Islands. The ministry kept the Vietnam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration.

MHA once had two agencies equivalent to the general directorate – Vietnam Government Committee for Religious Affairs and Central Emulation and Commendation Council. Under Decree 63/2022, the two agencies have been reorganized to be equivalent to departments.

The Ministry of Transport has eliminated the Directorate for Roads of Vietnam, which has been divided into the Vietnam Road Administration and Vietnam Expressway Administration.

Some ministries have completed the administrative arrangement and maintained the numbers of general directorates. The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, for example, maintains the General Directorate of Vocational Training. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs still has two agencies equivalent to general directorates and the Ministry of Planning and Investment still has the General Statistical Office.

According to MHA, the restructuring, especially of non-business public units, has brought certain achievements. However, the offices aren't sufficiently streamlined and therefore, operation efficiency remains low.

MHA pointed out that leaders of some ministries, branches and localities still lack strong determination to restructure units.

Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra told VietNamNet that under Decree 101, which amends and supplements some articles of Decree 123/2016, one can see that 18 general directorates don’t meet requirements. As a result of the apparatus restructuring, 500 officials will have to be cut or rearranged.

Thu Hang