At the Conference on Reviewing the Agricultural and Rural Development Sector in 2024 and Deploying Plans for 2025, held by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) on the afternoon of December 27, Mr. Le Minh Hoan, Minister of MARD, announced: “According to the merger proposal, the unified name after the merger of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will be the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. The new ministry’s organizational structure will consist of 30 units, a reduction of 25 units compared to the current 55 units in the two ministries’ structures (equivalent to a reduction of over 45%)”
Speaking on this issue, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh directed the MARD to coordinate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to urgently complete the review and report on the implementation of Resolution 18-NQ/TW, and submit the merger proposal as planned by the Central Steering Committee.
 Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks on the merger of the MARD and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. |
The Prime Minister requested that the units focus on improving planning, strategy development, and perfecting institutions, policies, and mechanisms. He also emphasized the need to remove institutional bottlenecks to promote the sector’s rapid and sustainable development. The process of streamlining and improving the apparatus is based on the following general principles:
First, ensure that no functions and tasks are overlooked and that they are improved comprehensively and thoroughly.
Second, avoid overlapping functions and tasks and minimize intersections.
Third, enhance decentralization and delegation of power, along with the allocation of resources. At the same time, strengthen supervision and inspection and improve the capacity of lower levels to reduce intermediaries and prevent harassment and inconvenience to people and businesses.
Fourth, ensure transparency and use digital transformation in the apparatus to reduce input costs for people and businesses.
The Prime Minister emphasized: “In particular, the apparatus transformation should not be rigid but flexible, aiming to achieve the common goal of a streamlined and robust apparatus with improved efficiency, reduced units, and a restructured and high-quality cadre of civil servants and public employees. All sacrifices are made for the common goal.”
“I recognize the efforts of the two ministries in reducing the number of units from 55 to 30, which will also reduce administrative procedures,” the Prime Minister emphasized. “The apparatus restructuring process must be swift and decisive, valuing time, intelligence, and decisiveness at the right time. The apparatus arrangement must be stabilized immediately.”
Regarding the merger timeline, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh shared that the merger of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will be discussed at the Central Committee meeting in January 2025 and approved by the National Assembly in February 2025, after which the merger will be officially implemented. Between now and January 15, the two ministries must complete the merger goals set by the Central Steering Committee.
Thanh Huyen
– 20:15 27/12/2024
