HCMC – The Government of Vietnam will reduce the number of ministries and equivalent agencies to 14 ministries and three ministerial-level agencies, while eliminating the current general departments under certain ministries.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired the ninth session of the Steering Committee for Government Restructuring on January 11, emphasizing the need for efficiency and reform. The Ministry of Home Affairs proposed reorganizing the internal structures within ministries and equivalent agencies, aiming to improve performance and cut redundancy.
According to the proposal, the Ministry of Finance will undergo substantial restructuring. The Ministry of Finance will reorganize the General Department of Taxation into the Department of Taxation, consisting of 12 divisions or offices. The tax departments in 63 provinces and centrally-governed cities will be consolidated into 20 regional tax offices. After the restructuring, the total number of units will be reduced by 1,005 out of 4,141, representing a 24.27% reduction. Similarly, the General Department of Vietnam Customs will be split into regional customs departments, with subunits cut by 53.77%, from 902 to 485.
The State Treasury, previously a general department, will be reclassified as a department-level entity. It will reduce its provincial branches from 63 to 20, leading to a 41.09% cut in subunits. Meanwhile, the General Department of State Reserves will see its divisions trimmed from 22 to 15.
Other agencies, including the General Statistics Office and Vietnam Social Insurance, will also see significant reductions in their organizational structures, with cuts ranging from 15% to 44.4%.
The restructuring plan also involves merging units across various ministries to avoid overlaps. The Ministry of Construction will combine its departments overseeing construction and investment management. The Ministry of Education and Training will merge its Primary and Secondary Education departments into a general education department.
The Ministry of Health plans to dissolve the Department of Traditional Medicine Management, delegating its functions to specialized units. Similarly, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will integrate its External Policy Department with the Department for Cultural Diplomacy and UNESCO Affairs.
If approved, the Government in the 15th tenure (2021–2026) would have 14 ministries and three ministerial-level agencies: the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs and Religion, the Government Office, the Government Inspectorate, and the State Bank of Vietnam.
Five government-affiliated agencies will continue operations, including the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology and Vietnam Television.
The reorganization will result in the elimination of all the 13 general departments and equivalent structures, reducing 518 department-level entities and 2,958 sub-department units nationwide. Furthermore, 201 public service units will be cut, focusing on streamlining operations and reducing administrative overheads.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has requested all ministries to submit finalized restructuring proposals, accompanied by draft decrees, by January 15. The Government aims to finalize and release the new organizational framework by late January, in preparation for approval during the upcoming National Assembly’s extraordinary session in February 2025.