The newly approved Plan on the Network of Public Communications Units Towards 2021 was said to be part of the Government’s efforts to restructure and make the communication agencies leaner while still ensuring quality.

According to the plan, Việt Nam will see at least a 10 per cent reduction in the number of State-funded communications agencies (non-media) and a 10 per cent cut in the number of staff receiving salary from the State budget.

The Government also set the target of transforming public communications agencies that meet certain conditions into joint stock companies by 2021.

The Government also demanded the press start funding itself. At least 10 per cent of public media agencies will be financially autonomous by 2021 and 20 per cent by 2025. The State budget will only allocate funding to a number of media organisations and programmes for propaganda and information dissemination purpose. — VNS