Amendment to Decree No. 34/2019/ND-CP on Policies for Commune-Level Officials

Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra: It is very unreasonable when an administrative unit with a large population and a developed economy is fixed with the same number of non-specialized officials as other units.

The number of non-specialized officials at commune, village, and residential group levels reduced by nearly 50%

Responding to the inquiries of deputies concerning officials and public employees, non-specialized officials at the commune level, Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra stated that the number and allowances for non-specialized officials at the commune and village levels are issues receiving significant voter concern.

"Annually, especially in 2021, the Ministry of Home Affairs receives about 100 voter petitions on average, transferred by National Assembly deputies and delegations. The largest group of issues raised by voters revolves around officials and non-specialized officials at the commune and village levels," the Minister said.

In recent times, implementing Resolution No. 18 by the Central Executive Committee of the 12th Party Congress, the structure of officials has been streamlined.

To be specific, in the administrative areas level 1, there are currently 23 people, in level 2, 21 people, and in level 3, only 19 people. Therefore, the number of non-specialized officials at the commune, village, and residential group levels has also decreased, overall reducing by nearly 50%.

"This complies with the spirit of the Central Resolution. We must implement this to streamline the apparatus and officials, aiming for a more professional system. In the future, when conditions permit, we will build a common civil service policy," the Minister stated.

Researching and comprehensively evaluating Decree 34/2019/ND-CP

According to the Minister, currently, operational funding is allocated for non-specialized officials at the commune and village levels (with 8-9 non-specialized titles at the commune level and 3 titles at the village/residential group level), exposing some inadequacies in implementation.

Therefore, recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs has been conducting comprehensive research and evaluation of Decree No. 34/2019/ND-CP.

The Minister also acknowledged that some commune-level administrative units have large populations and developed economies, especially in urban areas, while other units have small populations.

Thus, it is very unreasonable when an administrative unit with a large population and developed economy is assigned the same number of non-specialized officials as other units.

Decentralizing localities to arrange, ensuring working conditions for officials

Facing this inconsistency, Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra affirmed that the draft Decree amending Decree No. 34 has been sent to 63 provinces and cities for opinions. After the Fourth Session, the Ministry of Home Affairs will continue researching, reviewing, and consulting the Prime Minister of the Government of Vietnam, reporting to the competent authorities to amend the current regulations more appropriately, adjusting the higher allocated funds even if not adjusting the number of non-specialized officials at the commune and village levels.

Specifically, regarding the direction to amend Decree No. 34, the Minister of Home Affairs stated that it has been proposed to decentralize the authorities to base on the total number of commune-level officials, non-specialized officials, and local budgets to arrange, ensuring working conditions for officials.

This is a hot issue that voters are concerned about, so the Ministry of Home Affairs will act as quickly as possible to report to the Prime Minister of the Government of Vietnam on the amendment of Decree No. 34/2019/ND-CP.

According to the portal of the Government of Vietnam

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