HCMC – The 13th plenum of the Communist Party of Vietnam’s Central Committee began in Hanoi today, January 23, emphasizing efforts to streamline the political system.
Party General Secretary To Lam presided over the opening session and delivered his opening remarks, with the two-day event focusing on the political system reform.
According to a report presented at a preparatory meeting on January 21, significant progress has already been made in implementing Resolution 18 adopted by the Party Central Committee to streamline the political system and make it lean, efficient and effective.
Key achievements include the reduction of 119 departmental-level entities within Party bodies, with further plans to cut four central-level Party organizations, 25 party affairs committees, and 16 party delegations.
The government branch has seen the abolishment of five ministries and ministerial-level agencies, 13 general departments, 519 bureaus, 219 offices, 3,303 district-level units, and 203 public service institutions.
Plans for ministry mergers include the combination of the Ministry of Planning and Investment with the Ministry of Finance; the Ministry of Home Affairs with the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs; the Ministry of Construction with the Ministry of Transport; the Ministry of Science and Technology with the Ministry of Information and Communications; and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
At the local level, restructuring include abolishing 66 provincial-level party organizations and over 2,700 administrative and advisory units at the provincial and district levels.
By late December 2024, 13 Party, Fatherland Front, and socio-political organizations had completed their structural reforms, with new mandates approved by the Politburo.
The National Assembly apparatus is also undergoing significant restructuring. Five parliamentary bodies have been dissolved, and 13 departmental entities have been cut. Plans are underway to merge several National Assembly committees, including the Economic and Finance-Budget Committees, the Social and Culture-Education Committees, and the Judiciary and Law Committees.
The National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs Committee will cease operations, with its functions absorbed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, other committees, and the National Assembly Office. The Committee for People’s Aspirations will transition to a Supervisory and Aspirations Committee. The Legislative Research Institute will also be dissolved.
Judicial reforms have led to a reduction of 227 units in the People’s Court system and 108 entities in the Prosecutorial sector.
