Arrangement of tax sub-departments: Human resources is a key factor for success

Mr. Vu Xuan Bach, Director of the Personnel Department (General Department of Taxation)

Mr. Vu Xuan Bach , Director of Personnel Department (General Department of Taxation) spoke with Customs Newspaper about the experiences of this success.

Since the end of 2018, the whole tax sector has reduced the number of tax sub-departments throughout the country from 711 tax offices to 415 tax sub-departments. Could you please tell us about the operation of the regional tax offices after they were formed?

In general, tax agencies at all levels have closely followed the direction of the Ministry of Finance, urgently arranged the organizational structure, stabilized the situation to perform the assigned political tasks. The regional tax sub-departments have stabilized the organization, perfected the professional process, ensured the fulfillment of budget revenue and expenditure targets, socio-economic development of each district, town and city according to State budget estimates assigned, thereby helping alllocalities to complete the tax revenue estimate in 2019.

In addition, the administrative procedure reform has been focused,making sure tonot cause difficulties and trouble for taxpayers when performing their tasks with the state budget.

Civil servants haveagreed and assured work; advise sufficiently and promptly for the Party Committees and local authorities in the direction and administration of budget revenue estimates in the districts, towns and cities. The work of tax declaration, payment and settlement of tax problems has beendone smoothly.

It can be said that the finance sector in general and the Tax industry in particular are the pioneers in ministries and branches nationwide to drastically implement the streamlining of the apparatus. As well as learning from experience, how has the General Department of Taxation carried out this work to achieve this success?

SinceResolution No.18-NQ/TW was issued, the tax authority issued a detailed implementation plan, establishing a Steering Committee from the General Department to 63 tax departments. The General Department has collaborated with the Department of Organization and Personnel to conduct surveys at the Tax Department representing regions throughout the country to capture the thoughts, aspirations, difficulties and obstacles in the implementation process.

Since the stage of constructing the project of arrangement,consolidation and establishment of regional tax offices, The General Department took into consideration the relevant impacts, especially the three transaction relationships as follows: Tax authorities - Taxpayers (individuals and enterprise); Tax authorities with relevant agencies in the area; and Internal tax authorities.

In particular, focusing on the relationship between tax authorities and taxpayers in the spirit that does not increase administrative procedures of taxpayers; does not increase the time and travel expenses of taxpayers in dealing with tax authorities.

Along with that, the General Department of Taxation has directed to promote the reception and settlement of administrative procedures for taxpayers through the web portal of tax authorities. The taxpayers who are not eligible to connect and carry out administrative procedures by electronic methods, it is allowed to perform in the area of ​​the former head office to ensure convenience in handling procedures oftax agencies and fulfill tax obligations of tax authorities.

In arranging and streamlining the apparatus, what has the tax sector done to get the consensus of tax officials?

From the start of the project, the tax sector has recognized that personnel is the key to successfully organizing the operation of the regional tax sub-department. The arrangement and merging will lead to a reduction of leadership of the tax sub-department (head of departments and team leaders). Therefore, the selection and arrangement of leaders when merging tax departments also needs clear criteria.

In addition, the Minister of Finance issued a directive requesting a temporary suspension of appointment of new leadership positions at district or equivalent levels and teams of tax sub-departments nationwide to give priority to the arrangement of leaders of the district Tax Department when arranging and merging had greatly facilitated the work of staff arrangement and selection. For the redundant chief posts due to the merger, priority positions will be arranged in the unit. In case it is not possible to arrange equivalent titles, the deputies will be arranged in appropriate sections and given priority to consider appointing the head when the unit needs them.

For deputy chiefs, during the arrangement, the number of deputy chiefs of tax offices may be higher than prescribed. In the long term, it will be transferred and reorganized to ensure the number of deputies as prescribed. In case of transfer of leading public servants to lower positions, they may reserve the leading position allowances and consider support in cases where public employees voluntarily apply for retirement before their age when reorganizing their organizationalstructure.

Thank you, Sir!