Streamlining the state apparatus is both an urgent need and a natural step for Vietnam to move forward in the new era, affirming its position in the region and the world. This is the common view of domestic and international experts on Vietnam’s commitment to reforming its organizational apparatus.
Since the 12th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam issued Resolution No. 18 on October 2017 on innovation and restructuring of the political system towards improving effectiveness and efficiency, Vietnam has made significant efforts in streamlining the political apparatus. Although significant progress has been made, the restructuring process is still lacking in synchronization, overlapping, multi-layered, and potentially fraught with corruption, waste and other negative phenomena.
According to General Secretary To Lam, although the country has undergone significant changes in the 40 years of implementing the Doi Moi policy, the restructuring of the political system is still mainly following an outdated model, with many issues no longer suitable to current conditions and development trends. Therefore, reforming and restructuring the state apparatus is an urgent issue for Vietnam to make breakthroughs in the new era.
Acknowledging that this challenge is “difficult, even very difficult”, General Secretary To Lam emphasized that “it must be done” because it is closely aligned with the country’s aspirations in the new era. “Those aspirations include turning Vietnam into a modern industrialized, upper-middle-income developing country by 2030 and a developed, high-income socialist country by 2045”.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Vietnamese Government is undergoing a major restructuring, with plans to reduce the number of ministries to 13 and agencies at the same level to four. This includes cutting five ministries, three government agencies, and eliminating 12 of the 13 general departments and similar organizations. In addition, 677 departments and equivalent units within ministries and agencies, as well as 190 public service units, will be cut, exceeding the Government’s original target.
Dr. Nguyen Khac Giang, an expert at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS – Yusof Ishak) in Singapore, said that with high political determination and strong reform thinking, Vietnam continues to carry out institutional reforms in the spirit of “running and queuing at the same time” – a metaphor used by General Secretary To Lam to emphasize the urgency and decisiveness in the implementation process.
“Vietnam will draw practical lessons from the process of streamlining the state apparatus to adjust and overcome limitations, instead of waiting for completion before starting to implement. This proactive thinking helps avoid the situation of the apparatus being overloaded and wasting resources,” said Mr. Giang.
According to experts, this is the “right time” for Vietnam to carry out an institutional revolution, as the country currently has enough resources needed to achieve breakthroughs in the new era. These include the country’s increasingly high diplomatic position in the international arena, outstanding economic development and the advantage of the golden population period.
In terms of diplomacy, as of November 2024, Vietnam has established comprehensive strategic partnerships with nine countries, including China, Russia, India, South Korea, the United States, Japan, Australia, France and Malaysia.
Economically, after nearly 40 years of innovation, Vietnam’s economic scale will reach 430 billion USD by 2023, entering the group of 40 largest economies in the world and the top 5 economies in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). GDP per capita will reach nearly 4,300 USD, and the multidimensional poverty rate will decrease to only 2.9%.
Notably, Vietnam has economic and trade relations with 230 countries and territories. Vietnam has participated in more than 500 bilateral and multilateral agreements, including 17 free trade agreements (FTAs).
Furthermore, Vietnam is currently in the period of golden population structure – the period when the proportion of the working-age population (15-64 years old) is higher than the dependent population (under 15 years old and over 64 years old). According to the General Statistics Office, Vietnam’s golden population structure will last until 2041. This is an opportunity for Vietnam to promote socio-economic development.
Experts say that all of the above advantages are the perfect stepping stone for Vietnam to break through to a new stage with more remarkable achievements.
From a business perspective, Mr. Csaba Bundik, former director of EuroCham Vietnam, shared his expectation that the streamlining of the state apparatus in Vietnam will be implemented quickly and effectively. “If administrative procedures are simplified and handled effectively, businesses will focus on their core activities, such as developing production, services and attracting customers.”
A streamlined and efficient state apparatus will help Vietnam free up resources to invest in important areas such as education, social welfare and infrastructure development, bringing practical benefits to the Vietnamese people.
Acknowledging Vietnam’s efforts and determination in streamlining the state apparatus, experts said that implementing changes in a large system is always a challenge. Therefore, this process must be carried out in an objective, transparent and fair manner.
Experts say that listening to and consulting with people plays an extremely important role in creating a truly democratic environment, helping Vietnamese leaders build policies that are suitable to the needs and aspirations of the people.
