Under the new principle, the number of deputy positions must not exceed 50% of the total allocated staff for any agency or organization. This guideline does not apply to commune-level Fatherland Front committees.

The number of deputies within a subunit must not surpass that of the immediate higher-level organization. Among peer-level organizations, those without internal departments must have fewer deputies than those with internal structures. Agencies with more subordinate units may be allowed a higher maximum number of deputies.

Regulations for non-merged central and local agencies

The Conclusion states that the number of deputy ministers and equivalent positions, as well as vice chairpersons of provincial and communal People’s Councils and People’s Committees, should generally follow existing regulations.

For agencies without current guidelines on maximum deputy numbers:

At the central level:

Deputy ministers and equivalent roles must not exceed five per ministry or agency.
Deputies of Party-affiliated committees or agencies must comply with Party Central Committee, Politburo, and Secretariat regulations.
Deputy directors-general (equivalent to vice department heads) are capped at three.
The number of vice division chiefs is subject to existing regulations for departmental deputy positions.
Any exceptions must be decided by the authorized governing body.

At the local level:

The number of deputies for equivalent positions in provincial departments or commune-level offices should follow existing provincial guidelines.
Regulations for merged central and local agencies

For newly established ministries or agencies at the central level formed through mergers:

If two agencies are merged, the maximum number of deputy ministers or equivalents is six.
If three are merged, the maximum increases to seven.

For agencies that already have existing deputy caps:

A merger of two entities may allow one additional deputy over the current limit.
A merger of three may allow two more, but total deputies must still not exceed seven.

At the department level:

Mergers of two entities allow for one extra deputy over the current regulation.
Mergers of three allow for two more, but must remain within the limits of the immediate higher authority.
Guidelines for vice chairpersons of provincial and municipal People’s Councils and Committees

For Ho Chi Minh City:

Maximum of two vice chairpersons for the People’s Council.
Maximum of three vice chairpersons for the People’s Committee, exceeding current city regulations.

For centrally governed cities resulting from mergers:

If formed by merging two provincial units, the People’s Council may have one additional vice chairperson and the People’s Committee up to two more.
If formed by merging three units, the respective increases are two and three vice chairpersons.

For provinces formed by mergers:

A merger of two provinces allows one additional vice chairperson for the People’s Council and two for the People’s Committee.
A merger of three provinces allows one additional for the Council and three for the Committee, based on the classification of the highest-ranked administrative unit or the new classification post-merger.

For provincial departments:

If merged from two provinces or cities, deputy directors and equivalent roles must not exceed one additional person per unit.
For newly merged departments, the cap increases to two.
If merged from three units, up to two additional deputy positions are permitted; newly merged departments may have up to three more, as long as they stay within the superior unit's deputy cap. Specialized departments or offices that only exist in one province post-merger will retain their current deputy count.

For central-level agencies that take on functions of other bodies or are restructured (e.g., a general department downgraded to a department or regional sub-departments), the deputy limit may increase by one over current regulations.

At the commune level, wards, or special zones:

Two deputy secretaries may be assigned: one standing deputy and one concurrently serving as People's Committee chairperson.
Each commune or ward may have an average of one vice chairperson for the People's Council and 2.5 for the People's Committee, and two deputy-level staff per internal unit.
Provincial Party Committees will determine total vice chairpersons and deputies based on the number of communes, wards, or special zones.

Specific regulations on the number of provincial Party Committee members, Standing Committee members, and deputy secretaries will be issued separately by the Party Central Organization Commission under the direction of the Politburo and Secretariat.

Tran Thuong