‘Breaking’: Ministry Merger Proposal; Eye-Popping Lunar New Year Bonuses Revealed

Supplementary Budget Allocation for Salary Reform for the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security

National Assembly Chairwoman Tran Thanh Man has signed and issued a resolution on the 8th session of the 15th National Assembly.

Specifically, the National Assembly agreed to supplement VND 55,000 billion (from the salary reform accumulation fund) into the state budget expenditure estimate for 2024, of which the National Assembly allows supplementary budget allocation for salary reform for the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security as proposed by the Government.

The remaining amount within the VND 55,000 billion scope (after allocation to the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security) and VND 2,980 billion in the state budget balance approved earlier will be used for supplementary budget allocation for salary reform for central ministries, agencies, and localities.

The National Assembly requests that the Government urgently allocate this expenditure task to ministries, sectors, and localities, ensuring timeliness.

The resolution also states that the Government is responsible for ensuring that the content of the proposal complies with legal regulations and that the information and data reported are accurate; at the same time, it must organize the implementation promptly and effectively manage the state budget.

Details of the Restructuring Plan for the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Planning and Investment

Deputy Minister of Finance Nguyen Duc Chi said that the total number of units in the organizational structure of the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) and the Ministry of Finance before the restructuring was 56 units (28 units each), including 47 administrative units (6 general departments, 14 departments, 27 offices, and inspectorates) and 9 public non-business units.

After the restructuring of the two ministries into a new ministry, there will be 35 units, including 34 units restructured from the merger of the two ministries (17 departments, 13 offices, inspectorates, and 4 public non-business units) and 1 additional unit, which is a public non-business unit from the merger of the Vietnam Social Security.

Regarding the 9 public non-business units outside the organizational structure of the ministries, for now, they will remain unchanged. Later, they will be restructured according to the common criteria, retaining only the units belonging to the ministries and sectors that serve political tasks in the leading units associated with their functions and missions and meet the criteria and conditions for establishment according to regulations, in line with the planning of the network of public non-business units by industry and field.

The new ministry will also review and restructure the internal organization of public non-business units to ensure that they meet the criteria for establishing organizations as prescribed by the Government and the requirement for a streamlined apparatus.

For higher education institutions, restructuring will be carried out according to the planning of the network of educational institutions, in conjunction with enhancing financial autonomy in line with the roadmap for fully calculating service fees by industry and field.

New Information on the Restructuring Plan for the Ministry of Industry and Trade

On December 12, the Ministry of Industry and Trade held a conference to review the implementation of Resolution 18 on renewing and restructuring the organization of the political system to be more streamlined and effective.

In implementing Resolution 18, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has held two meetings to discuss and agree on the draft summary report on the implementation of Resolution 18 and the plan for restructuring and streamlining the organizational apparatus of the ministry.

Regarding the expected restructuring plan, the Ministry of Industry and Trade stated that in the near future, it will terminate the activities of the Party Committees and establish the Party Committee of the Ministry of Industry and Trade under the Party Committee of the Government as required and planned by the Politburo.

Terminate the activities of the Office of the Party Committee and transfer its tasks to the Party Committee of the Ministry of Industry and Trade; restructure and streamline the structure of the units belonging to the Party Committee of the Ministry of Industry and Trade in accordance with the guidance of competent authorities.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade will terminate the model of the General Department of Market Management; establish the Department of Domestic Market Management and Supervision based on the functions, tasks, and organizational structure of the General Department of Market Management and the Department of Domestic Market. Transfer 63 provincial Market Management Departments to the People’s Committees of provinces and cities and propose the model of the Market Management Branch under the Department of Industry and Trade.

Merge the Department of Electricity and Renewable Energy and the Department of Electricity Regulation, with the tentative name of the new unit after restructuring being the Department of Electricity.

Merge the Department of Local Industry and Trade, the Department of Energy Saving and Sustainable Development, and the Department of Science and Technology. The tentative name of the new department after restructuring is the Department of Technology and Innovation.

Change the name of the Planning and Finance Department to the Planning, Finance, and Enterprise Management Department. Transfer the function of synthesizing the situation of local industrial and commercial development of the Department of Local Industry and Trade to the Planning, Finance, and Enterprise Management Department.

Transfer the state management function for the small and handicraft industry and industrial clusters from the Department of Local Industry and Trade to the Department of Industry.

For other units belonging to the ministry, they will continue to be studied and restructured to ensure a streamlined, effective, and efficient organization, reducing internal units.

FDI Enterprises Owe Billions in Taxes and Then Leave the Country

Information from the Dong Nai Customs Department reveals that many foreign-invested enterprises (FDI) in the area are absconding, leaving behind significant tax debts. Notably, Shin Kwang Vietnam Co., Ltd. , represented by Mr. Park Jongmin, has operated in Vietnam for over 20 years in the field of PU film coating for shoe leather production.

However, the company recently ceased operations, and the Korean owner returned to his home country, leaving behind a tax debt of approximately VND 12 billion, which is challenging to recover. It is understood that the company also owes its 50 employees a total of over VND 300 million in wages and about VND 2.8 billion in social insurance, causing hardship for the workers during the year-end period.

Many other FDI enterprises in Dong Nai province are in a similar situation, including King May Craft Vietnam Co., Ltd. (represented by Mr. Hung Wen Chuan), which owes VND 5.3 billion in taxes; Rio Vina Co., Ltd. (VND 3.4 billion); Nhựa Rich Way Co., Ltd. (VND 1.8 billion); Kova Viana Co., Ltd. (VND 1.2 billion); Wagon Vietnam Joint Stock Company (VND 1.3 billion); Boseung Vina Co., Ltd. (VND 4.7 billion), and others.

These enterprises mostly do not operate at their registered addresses and have mortgaged their assets to banks. Therefore, when the companies encounter difficulties, the banks immediately seize their assets.

To recover the tax debts, the Dong Nai Customs Department is monitoring the responses from the public security and land registry agencies to implement the two remaining compulsory enforcement steps: seizing and auctioning the mortgaged assets to recover the taxes.

As of November, the amount of overdue and enforced tax debts of enterprises managed by the Dong Nai Customs Department is approximately VND 100 billion.

In Binh Duong province, several FDI enterprises also owe taxes, such as B&M Vina Co., Ltd. (nearly VND 3 billion), Beautec Vina Co., Ltd. (VND 5.6 billion), Yong Cheon Vietnam Co., Ltd. (VND 4.3 billion), Ever Huge Co., Ltd. (nearly VND 7 billion), and others. According to statistics from the Binh Duong Customs Department, as of early December, the tax debts of enterprises in the province amount to about VND 244 billion.

Many Projects in Ha Tinh Economic Zone Stalled, Provincial Chairman Points Out Responsibilities

According to Mr. Vo Trong Hai, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ha Tinh province, at the 23rd session of the Provincial People’s Council on December 13, this year, Ha Tinh approved in principle investment policies for 22 projects with a total investment of VND 25,000 billion. The province currently has 1,550 projects with a total investment of VND 530,000 billion. However, there are issues with projects that are slow to implement, slow to put land into use, and stagnant and problematic projects that have not been resolved thoroughly.

Through a review, Ha Tinh province has over 310 stagnant and problematic projects accumulated over many periods, with the most in the economic zones. The Provincial People’s Committee has divided them into three areas for inspection and handling.

“This is the direct responsibility of the provincial Economic Zone Management Board for not taking resolute action and not handling the situation effectively. In the future, we need to focus on investment promotion and attract large-scale projects. The relevant sectors and units must clarify their responsibilities in handling these issues thoroughly and promptly recovering stagnant projects,” said Mr. Vo Trong Hai, Chairman of the Ha Tinh Provincial People’s Committee.

At the meeting, the provincial leader also pointed out the existing shortcomings and problems that have not been resolved thoroughly in projects such as the Hoanh Son Industrial Park, Phu Vinh Industrial Park, and the Thach Khe Iron Mine. Mr. Vo Trong Hai stated that the Government has directed the Ministry of Planning and Investment to propose necessary documents to resolve these issues and soon attract investment to these areas.

In addition, while there have been efforts, the issuance of land use certificates to the people is still slow, and there are many backlogs. The Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee requested the relevant sector to focus on resolving this issue to avoid complaints and denunciations from the people.

Enterprises in Binh Duong Offer Highest Tet Bonus of Nearly VND 400 Million per Person

On December 14, a representative of the Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs of Binh Duong province shared that through a review of the situation of salaries, bonuses, and labor relations of enterprises and localities in the province, as of now, 1,771 enterprises have reported their Tet bonus plans, of which 1,676 enterprises have already planned their Tet bonuses, and 95 enterprises have not yet determined the bonus amount.

Accordingly, the expected highest bonus for the Lunar New Year holiday is VND 375 million per person, belonging to a foreign-invested enterprise (FDI). The expected highest bonus for the New Year holiday is VND 368 million per person, also from an FDI enterprise.

The expected average bonus for the 2025 Lunar New Year holiday is VND 8.77 million per person, with the lowest being VND 4.96 million per person (for employees who have worked for at least 12 months).

Ms. Nguyen Kim Loan, Chairwoman of the Binh Duong Provincial Labor Federation, said that according to the plan, the total expected expenditure for caring for union members and employees during the 2025 Lunar New Year holiday is about VND 272.4 billion.

Enterprises in Dak Lak Offer Lowest Tet Bonus of VND 200,000

The Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs of Dak Lak province has reported the results of a survey on salaries, wage debts in 2024, bonus plans based on production and business results, and labor relations in enterprises during the New Year and Lunar New Year holidays in 2025.

Previously, the department conducted a survey of 500 enterprises in the province, and 118 enterprises submitted their reports.

Accordingly, the average monthly salary in 2024 in Dak Lak province is VND 8.95 million per person.

The highest salary is VND 104.95 million per person per month, and the lowest is VND 3.5 million per person per month.

Among the surveyed enterprises,