The Government on June 1 issued Decree No. 196/2026 regulating the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Government Office.

The Government Office is a ministerial-level agency of the Government and serves as a strategic, critical and confidential advisory body providing direct support to the Government and the Prime Minister, including Deputy Prime Ministers.

The Government Office is responsible for providing integrated policy advice and coordination to assist the Government and Prime Minister in organizing the Government's overall activities and directing, guiding and administering state operations. It also functions as a central hub for information and communications serving the leadership, direction and administration of the Government and Prime Minister, while providing information to the public. In addition, it is tasked with ensuring the material, technical and logistical conditions necessary for the operation of the Government and the Prime Minister.

The decree outlines 15 groups of functions, tasks and powers assigned to the Government Office.

According to the decree, the organizational structure of the Government Office consists of 17 units: the General Affairs Department, Legal Affairs Department, General Economic Affairs Department, Industry Department, Agriculture Department, Science, Education, Culture and Social Affairs Department, International Relations Department, Internal Affairs Department, Public Service Organization Department, Inspectorate Monitoring Department (Department I), National Assembly, Local Government and Mass Organizations Department, Secretariat and Editorial Department, Administration Department, Personnel Organization Department, Digital Transformation Department, Administration and Finance Department, and the Government Communications Department.

Units within the organizational structure of the Government Office are administrative organizations whose functions, tasks, powers and organizational arrangements are determined by the Minister and Chairman of the Government Office.

The Government Communications Department is classified as a Grade I department and is authorized to use the national emblem seal.

The Minister and Chairman of the Government Office is responsible for submitting to the Prime Minister a list of public non-business units affiliated with the Government Office.

The Government Electronic Information Portal will continue performing its assigned functions, tasks and powers under current regulations until the decision defining the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Government Communications Department takes effect following issuance by the Minister and Chairman of the Government Office.

According to the explanatory report attached to the draft decree released earlier, the Government Communications Department is expected to be staffed by more than 30 personnel.

The department will include divisions, offices and a public non-business unit, the Government Online Newspaper. Its director will be authorized to issue professional and operational guidance documents within its management scope, including guidelines on information integration with the electronic portals of ministries, sectors and provincial-level People's Committees.

The department will also be responsible for state management of the Official Gazette and will be delegated authority to make decisions on certain personnel, financial and asset management matters. Its organizational structure includes professional divisions, offices and the Government Online Newspaper as its public non-business unit.

Tran Thuong