Under the decision, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra will serve as head of the steering committee. The two deputy heads are the Minister of Home Affairs, who will act as standing deputy head, and the Minister of Finance.

The committee’s members include the ministers of National Defense, Public Security, Justice, Education and Training, Health, Science and Technology, and Culture, Sports and Tourism; a vice president of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee; the president of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor; a deputy head of the Party Central Committee’s Organization Commission; a deputy chief of the Party Central Committee Office; a deputy head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Propaganda and Mass Mobilization; a deputy head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Policies and Strategies; a deputy minister of Home Affairs; a deputy minister of Finance; a deputy governor of the State Bank of Vietnam; a deputy head of the Government Office; a deputy head of the National Assembly Office; a deputy prosecutor general of the Supreme People’s Procuracy; a deputy chief justice of the Supreme People’s Court; a deputy head of the National Assembly’s Committee for Culture and Society; a deputy head of the National Assembly’s Economic and Financial Committee; and a deputy head of the National Assembly’s Committee for Deputy Affairs.

The steering committee is tasked with studying and developing proposals on reforming salary policy, social insurance and preferential policies for people with meritorious service.

It will also coordinate with ministries and agencies to study socio-economic policies related to salary, social insurance and preferential policies for people with meritorious service, as assigned by the Prime Minister.

In addition, the committee will assist the Prime Minister in monitoring and urging ministries, sectors and localities to implement salary, social insurance and preferential policies for people with meritorious service. It will also work on solutions to create resources for salary policy reform and social insurance policy reform, while proposing timely measures to handle new issues arising during implementation.

Earlier, the Ministry of Home Affairs proposed raising the base salary from the current VND2.34 million (US$90) to VND2.53 million (US$98) per month from July 1.

The Government Party Committee has reported to the Politburo and secured agreement on the adjustment. The draft decree has been sent by the Ministry of Home Affairs to the Ministry of Justice for appraisal.

In the immediate term, the Government will focus on adjusting the base salary from July 1 for cadres, civil servants, public employees, the armed forces and beneficiaries of social security, social protection, preferential policies for people with meritorious service, pensions and social pensions, with an increase of 8%.

At the same time, the Ministry of Home Affairs has been assigned to study and complete salary policy, then report to the Politburo in June. The work will move toward comprehensive reform and an expanded salary relationship. On that basis, authorities will consider adjusting allowances, including public service allowances, particularly for commune-level positions.

Tran Thuong