Vietnam is set to streamline provincial departments, limiting most provinces to no more than 14 while allowing Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to retain up to 15 departments. The Ministry of Home Affairs, led by Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra, outlined these restructuring guidelines under a government initiative to improve efficiency and reduce bureaucracy.

Several provincial departments will be merged to align with restructuring at the central government level. Proposed mergers include:

Department of Planning and Investment with Department of Finance: To form the Department of Economic and Financial Affairs.

Department of Transport with Department of Construction: To form the Department of Construction and Transport.

Department of Natural Resources and Environment with Department of Agriculture and Rural Development: To form the Department of Agriculture and Environment.

Department of Information and Communications with Department of Science and Technology: To form the Department of Science, Technology, and Communications.

Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs with Department of Home Affairs: To form the Department of Internal Affairs and Labor, handling employment, social welfare, and related areas.

Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, due to their unique urban and administrative needs, may retain their Transportation Departments.

Additionally, the Department of Planning and Architecture in these cities will merge with the Department of Construction to streamline operations.

The restructuring also allows for specific departments like Food Safety to integrate their roles into broader departments such as Health, Industry and Trade, and Agriculture.

The government aims to complete this reorganization by February 20, 2025, with results reported to the Ministry of Home Affairs by February 28, 2025.

This plan reflects Vietnam’s ongoing commitment to modernizing governance while addressing the specific administrative needs of its most populous urban centers.

Thu Hang