Vietnam is undergoing a significant restructuring of its government apparatus, aiming to streamline operations and improve efficiency. Streamlining plans are expected to reduce the number of government entities from 30 to 21, including 13 ministries, four ministerial-level agencies and four government bodies.
- The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) will merge with the Ministry of Finance (MoF). The new ministry is expected to be named the Ministry of Finance and Development Investment, or the Ministry of Economic Development.
- The Ministry of Transport (MoT) and the Ministry of Construction (MoC) will be combined to form the Ministry of Infrastructure and Urban Affairs.
- In an effort to address overlaps in the management of water resources, river basins and biodiversity, a new Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment will be formed from the merger of the current Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).
- The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) will join the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) to become the Ministry of Digital Transformation, Science and Technology (or Ministry of Digital Transformation, Science, Technology and Information).
- Several responsibilities currently undertaken by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) will be moved to the Ministry of Education and Training (regarding vocational training) and the Ministry of Health (regarding social welfare, child affairs, and prevention and control of social misconduct). The remaining departments under the MoLISA will be merged with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) to form the Ministry of Home Affairs and Labour.
- The Ministry of Health (MoH) will also assume additional responsibilities from the Board of Health Protection and Care for Central-level Officials, which will soon cease operations.
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will take over the main responsibilities of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations and the National Assembly’s Committee for External Relations when these two units are dissolved.
- The Management Board of the Hồ Chí Minh Mausoleum will be managed by the Ministry of National Defence, becoming part of the ministry’s organisational structure.
- Four ministries, including the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, as well as four ministerial-level agencies of the Government Office, the Government Inspectorate, and the State Bank of Vietnam will remain unchanged.
- The Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs will take over the Government Committee for Religious Affairs from the MoHA and poverty reduction responsibilities from the current MoLISA.
This is a significant reduction in general departments, bureaus, departments and public service organisations to address current overlapping functions and aim to create a leaner, more efficient administrative apparatus. The rearrangement will include reducing staff positions and improving the quality of personnel to meet the requirements of each agency's new context.
Timeline:
The mergers are expected to be completed by December 2024, with the new ministries becoming operational by February 2025.
