Minister Đào Ngọc Dung: Forging a Visionary Legacy This title hints at a story about a minister with a forward-thinking mindset, who plans with a long-term vision in mind. It evokes a sense of strategic thinking and a desire to create a lasting impact.

On August 12, the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs and Religion held a national conference to evaluate ethnic and religious affairs after organizing the apparatus and implementing the two-level local government.

At the conference, leaders of the Departments of Ethnic and Religious Affairs from various localities discussed and proposed solutions regarding organizational structure, personnel, training, and capacity building for officials to meet the requirements of the two-level local government; improving institutions and policies related to decentralization and deconcentration in the field of ethnic and religious affairs; and executing tasks belonging to the National Target Program…

In his conclusion at the conference, Minister of Ethnic and Religious Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung affirmed that despite being established on March 1 and having only five months of operation, with many large and challenging tasks, the Ministry has been recognized by the Government and the Prime Minister for “effectively fulfilling its political tasks.” The socio-economic situation in ethnic minority and mountainous areas is basically stable, and people’s lives have improved and been elevated.

Notably, the task of eradicating temporary and dilapidated houses has achieved impressive results, with over 269,000 houses supported, reaching 98% of the set plan. According to Minister Dao Ngoc Dung, this is a miraculous achievement of the industry. “Eradicating temporary and dilapidated houses is not just an accomplished socio-economic target but also a great political and humanitarian achievement, vividly demonstrating the Party and State’s care and directly strengthening the blood relationship with the people,” said Dung.

According to Minister Dao Ngoc Dung, the program has been completed ahead of schedule by five years and four months compared to the initial plan. By August 31, 2025, localities are expected to basically complete this target nationwide.

Regarding the two-level local government model, the Ministry has submitted to the Government for the issuance of Decree No. 124/2025/ND-CP, decentralizing and delegating 33 competencies and tasks to localities while streamlining and simplifying administrative procedures in the fields of ethnicity, faith, and religion (reaching 72.2%). In addition, the Ministry has issued six circulars to guide the contents under its state management authority.

However, according to Mr. Dung, the direction and implementation of ethnic and religious policies in some localities are still confusing, and the digital transformation of the entire industry is slow. There are also cases of pushing and avoiding work in some localities and units under the Ministry.

In the future, according to Mr. Dung, the entire industry needs to have the mindset of state managers, “thinking deeply, acting largely, and acting decisively and effectively.” Firmly uphold the overarching goal of contributing to the three “An”: Security (especially human security), Stability (keeping people calm), and Welfare (social welfare).

The Minister emphasized the need for close and effective coordination with relevant ministries and sectors in implementing ethnic and religious affairs. According to Mr. Dung, every decision and action today must consider efficiency and long-term impact rather than just solving immediate problems. He asked everyone to think about the imprint and legacy they would leave for the industry and the country instead of working perfunctorily and irresponsibly. “Working for a day, think for ten years,” Mr. Dung emphasized.

Another important task, according to Mr. Dung, is to focus on perfecting institutions, policies, and laws. This includes studying and building a dossier to amend and supplement the Law on Faith and Religion. According to Mr. Dung, it is necessary to focus on building and promulgating specific mechanisms and policies suitable for each locality and region to bring policies to life faster.

Minister Dao Ngoc Dung also noted the need to focus on directing the summation of the National Target Program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for the 2021-2025 period and proposing a new program for the next period. This program will be a component of the program for new rural construction and sustainable poverty reduction, instead of a separate program.

The Minister assigned the Ethnic Academy to take the lead in building a plan and deploying comprehensive training for officials in the industry from the central to grassroots levels, focusing on problems and professional expertise. The Ministry will establish working groups to inspect, urge, and directly solve problems at the local level and send working groups to support and guide grassroots-level agencies.

Another important task, according to Mr. Dung, is to strengthen the organization and improve the capacity of officials. The Ministry and localities must build a synchronized database for the industry, focusing on four areas: state management, ethnic affairs, religious affairs, and the National Target Program data.

Minister Dao Ngoc Dung also requested integrating the Party’s major guidelines into the field of ethnic and religious affairs and vigorously implementing the four pivotal resolutions to bring the country into a new era. “Ethnic and religious affairs must take people’s faith and well-being as the measure of effectiveness,” affirmed Minister Dao Ngoc Dung.