The Evolution of Salary Reform: An Interview with the Minister of Home Affairs

On July 8, the Ministry of Home Affairs held a conference in Ho Chi Minh City to review the first six months and deploy tasks for the remaining six months of 2024.

In her opening remarks, Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra acknowledged the efforts of the entire sector in developing and refining the system and related policies. The Ministry has been dedicated to enhancing the framework and policies in the areas of civil service, public employees, salary reform, organizational structure, and administrative reform, along with state management duties.

The Minister commended the localities for their proactive role in developing mechanisms and policies for various aspects of the home affairs sector, especially the reorganization of district- and commune-level administrative units, as well as administrative reform, with a particular focus on stabilizing the development of the grassroots-level political system. This, she noted, has been a prominent and positive highlight over the past six months.

Additionally, the entire political system, from central to local levels, has been vigorously and resolutely focused on reorganizing district- and commune-level administrative units. According to the Minister, we are now in the acceleration phase to reach the finish line, and the localities have been making remarkable efforts.

Despite the challenges, many localities have achieved rapid progress, promptly submitting their proposals to the National Assembly’s Standing Committee. Simultaneously, the sector has concentrated on continuing the reorganization of public non-business units, especially in the central region and several localities.

Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra emphasized that the most arduous and challenging task, which also resulted in a spectacular success, was the Ministry’s advisory role in guiding the Politburo, the Government, and the National Assembly in implementing a rational, cautious, inclusive, and effective salary reform roadmap.

“This is a significant victory for the entire sector,” she stated. “Up until the 89th minute, there was uncertainty about the approach to be taken. However, in the end, salary reform brought great joy to civil servants, public employees, and workers, along with all related subjects.”

3,853 civil servants and public employees streamlined in the first six months

Reporting on the results of the first six months and outlining the direction and tasks for the second half of 2024, Deputy Minister Truong Hai Long stated that during this period, the Ministry of Home Affairs submitted to the Politburo for their consideration and approval the direction and key tasks for the salary reform, adjustment of retirement pensions, social insurance benefits, preferential treatment for revolutionary contributors, and social allowances from July 1, 2024.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Home Affairs submitted to the National Assembly’s Standing Committee for approval two resolutions and one report; submitted to the Government for issuance four decrees and eight resolutions; and submitted to the Prime Minister for issuance 12 decisions and one telegram. The Minister of Home Affairs, within the scope of her authority, issued six circulars and two consolidated texts.

Notably, the sector focused on studying, reviewing, and synthesizing issues arising during the implementation of the four laws: the Law on Organization of the Government, the Law on Organization of Local Administration, the Law on Civil Servants, and the Law on Public Employees. This served as a basis for proposing amendments and supplements to the Laws to align them with practical needs.

In the first six months, ministries, sectors, and localities streamlined 3,853 civil servants and public employees; 107 at the ministry level and 3,746 at the local level. During this period, the central ministries, sectors, and localities recruited 13,965 civil servants and public employees. Additionally, 30 excellent graduates and young scientists were recruited under Decree No. 140 (including four at the ministry level and 26 at the local level) to join the contingent of civil servants and public employees nationwide.