Official Dispatch 006 on reviewing the number of commune-level officials in Vietnam

Official Dispatch 006 on reviewing the number of commune-level officials in Vietnam​ (Image from the Internet)

Official Dispatch 006 on reviewing the number of commune-level officials in Vietnam

In Official Dispatch 006/BNV-CQDP in 2025, it is stated that, following Conclusion 126-KL/TW in 2025 of the Politburo on several contents and tasks to continue arranging and streamlining the organizational apparatus of the political system at the grassroots level in 2025 and Conclusion 127-KL/TW in 2025 of the Politburo on the implementation of research, proposing the continued arrangement of the organizational apparatus of the political system, performing the functions and tasks of state management over commune-level officials, the Ministry of Home Affairs requests the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities to review and report on the quantity and quality of commune-level officials (as of December 31, 2024).

The People's Committees of the provinces and centrally-run cities are to submit to the Ministry of Home Affairs before March 10, 2025, for synthesis and reporting to competent authorities.

Who are commune-level officials in Vietnam?

According to Clause 3, Article 4 of the Law on Officials 2008, commune-level officials are defined as follows:

Commune, ward, commune-level town officials are Vietnamese citizens elected to tenure positions in the Standing Committee of the People's Council, the People's Committee, the Secretary, Deputy Secretary of the Communist Party Committee, the leader of socio-political organizations; commune-level civil servants are Vietnamese citizens recruited to hold professional positions within the commune-level People's Committee, on the payroll, and receive salaries from the state budget.

According to Clause 1, Article 5 of Decree 33/2023/ND-CP, commune-level officials hold the following positions:

(1) Secretary, Deputy Secretary of the Communist Party Committee;

(2) Chairperson, Vice Chairperson of the People's Council;

(3) Chairperson, Vice Chairperson of the People's Committee;

(4) Chairperson of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee;

(5) Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union;

(6) Chairperson of the Vietnam Women's Union;

(7) Chairperson of the Vietnam Farmers' Union (applicable to communes, wards, commune-level towns engaged in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, salt production and have a Vietnam Farmers' Union organization);

(8) Chairperson of the Vietnam Veterans Association.

According to Clause 2, Article 5 of Decree 33/2023/ND-CP, commune-level civil servants hold the following titles:

(1) Chief of the Military Command;

(2) Office - Statistics;

(3) Land Administration - Construction - Urban and Environment (for wards, commune-level towns) or Land Administration - Agriculture - Construction and Environment (for communes);

(4) Finance - Accounting;

(5) Justice - Civil Status;

(6) Culture - Society.

Number of commune-level officials in Vietnam

According to Article 6 of Decree 33/2023/ND-CP, the number of commune-level officials is specified as follows:

(1) The number of commune-level officials is calculated according to the type of commune-level administrative unit. To be specific:

- For wards: Type I is 23 people; Type II is 21 people; Type III is 19 people;

- For communes, commune-level towns: Type I is 22 people; Type II is 20 people; Type III is 18 people.

(2) The People's Committee of the province bases itself on the number of commune-level administrative units with a population size and natural area larger than the standards stipulated in the Resolution of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly on the standards of administrative units and classification of administrative units to calculate the increased number of civil servants at the commune level as follows:

- For wards under districts, for every 1/3 increase in the prescribed population size, an additional 01 civil servant is added. For other commune-level administrative units, for every 1/2 increase in the prescribed population size, an additional 01 civil servant is added;

- In addition to the increase in civil servants according to the population scale prescribed at point a of this clause, for every 100% increase in the prescribed natural area, an additional 01 civil servant is added.

(3) Annually, the People's Committee of the province submits to the People's Council of the same level to decide the number of commune-level officials for each district-level administrative unit within the scope of management to suit practical requirements, but must ensure that the total number of commune-level officials in district-level administrative units does not exceed the total number of commune-level officials calculated for the entire provincial-level administrative unit.

(4) Annually, the People's Committee of the district decides the specific number of commune-level officials in each commune-level administrative unit and arranges the number of civil servants for each title of commune-level official within the scope of management to suit the requirements and tasks of each commune-level administrative unit. The number of commune-level officials in each commune-level administrative unit may be lower than the level of a Type III commune or may be higher than the level of a Type I commune but must ensure not to exceed the total number of commune-level officials of the entire district-level administrative unit as assigned by the provincial People's Council.

(5) The number of commune-level officials includes those receiving a pension or unemployment benefits elected to hold commune-level official positions and those officials who have been transferred, seconded, or assigned to the commune level.

In the case of personnel transfer to assume the position of Vice Chairperson of the commune-level People's Committee, implementation is in accordance with the Government of Vietnam regulations on the number of Vice Chairpersons of the People's Committee and the procedures for election, resignation, dismissal, removal, transfer, and dismissal of members of the People's Committee.

Le Quang Nhat Minh

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