“Proposal to Increase the Number of Provincial Vice Chairpersons; Denial of Permission for Commune-level Administrative Service Centers”

Proposal to Increase the Number of Vice Chairpersons of Provincial and Municipal People’s Committees

Commenting on the draft Law on Local Government Organization (amended), Delegate Pham Van Hoa of Dong Thap agreed with the operational structure and organization of the People’s Councils and People’s Committees.

However, Delegate Pham Van Hoa suggested increasing the number of Vice Chairpersons of the Provincial People’s Council based on population scale and area.

According to the delegate, the post-arrangement directive and management tasks are enormous, hence the necessity of adding more Vice Chairpersons to the Provincial People’s Committees.

Proposal to Not Allow Commune-level People’s Committees to Establish Public Administration Centers

Regarding the establishment of Public Administration Centers by commune-level People’s Committees, Delegate Pham Van Hoa suggested that they should not be permitted to do so. Instead, he proposed the formation of inter-regional Public Administration Centers directly under the provincial People’s Committees.

Citing the successful model implemented in Hanoi, Delegate Pham Van Hoa emphasized the redundancy of each commune establishing its center, especially in non-merged and small-scale communes, which would lead to wastefulness.

Delegate Pham Van Hoa agreed with granting authority to the commune-level People’s Committees and their Chairpersons. However, he disagreed with the provision allowing the Chairpersons to delegate authority to commune-level departments and branches.

In his opinion, being the lowest administrative level, the commune level should not be empowered to further delegate authority to specialized departments.

In addition to the existing specialized departments at the commune level, Delegate Pham Van Hoa suggested establishing shared offices, such as the Party Committee Office, the People’s Council Office, and the People’s Committee Office.

Clarifying the Responsibilities of Provincial People’s Committee Chairpersons

Providing feedback on the draft Law, Delegate Do Thi Viet Ha from Bac Giang province proposed that the content of the Law should clearly define the responsibilities of the People’s Committees and their Chairpersons at the provincial and communal levels regarding direct leadership and management of tasks within the purview of specialized agencies and other administrative organizations under their respective committees (as stated in Clause 4, Article 11).

According to Delegate Do Thi Viet Ha, while Chapter III of the draft Law outlines the concept, rules, conditions, methods, and responsibilities pertaining to task allocation, division, and authorization, it is imperative to closely align and synchronize these provisions with improvements in the legal system, particularly in sector-specific laws. She further suggested that the Government continue reviewing and amending or promulgating relevant legal documents concerning task allocation, division, and authorization to ensure effective state management in various sectors and fields.

Proposals for Additional Resources and Support for Local Governments and Non-specialized Staff

Contributing to the discussion on the draft Law, Delegate Nguyen Thi Quyen Thanh from Vinh Long province pointed out that, following the elimination of the district level, 90 out of 99 tasks and powers of the district-level local governments would be transferred to the commune level, while the remaining nine tasks and powers would be delegated to the provincial level.

To ensure sufficient resources for the functioning of the two-tier local government model, Delegate Nguyen Thi Quyen Thanh proposed: “I recommend that the drafting committee consider providing additional conditions and resources to fulfill the tasks of ensuring central delegation to local governments and various levels of local governments. Additionally, clarify the accountability of each level in performing these tasks.”

Alongside promoting the application of information technology in management, monitoring, and inspection to enhance oversight among levels, Delegate Nguyen Thi Quyen Thanh suggested regulating the oversight of citizens, organizations, and between levels.

Furthermore, the delegate proposed that the Ministry of Home Affairs advise the Government to consider providing support to non-specialized staff at the commune, village, and neighborhood levels, offering them a benefit package equivalent to twice the current allowance. She also suggested additional support equivalent to three months’ worth of the current allowance for each year of service, up to a maximum of 60 months, along with the inclusion of training and career transition programs for non-specialized staff who leave their positions.