Ministry of Finance streamlines its apparatus, saving VND 3,000 billion

The Tax Department finished early in the task of rearranging its apparatus. Photo: H.V

Cuts on 5,641 focal points

With a spirit of drastic participation, units under the Ministry of Finance such as the General Department of Taxation, the General Department of Vietnam Customs, and the State Treasury have deployed the arrangement and organisation of the apparatus.

Up to now, the Ministry of Finance has arranged and cut more than 5,641 focal points of units from the central level to the team level in the locality; reducing 4,544 leadership and management positions and reduced nine public non-business units (from 36 units to 27 units).

In 2019, the payroll of staff at administrative organisations of the Ministry of Finance has decreased 4,974 targets, 6.7% compared with the number of plans assigned in 2015 of 74,262 payrolls. The Ministry of Finance has restructured the payroll in the sector to serve as a basis for staff assignment to the units under the Ministry of Finance. In 2020, it has decreased by 8.7% compared to the target assigned in 2015, ensuring the roadmap to 2021, in which the administrative payroll would be reduced by 10% compared to 2015.

The Ministry of Finance also issued a decision on assigning non-business payrolls in 2018-2021 to organisations and units under the ministry.

The process of streamlining the apparatus of the Ministry of Finance ensured that it complied with the Party's guidelines and resolutions and the Government's action plan, as well as publicity and transparency based on the reality of each unit, getting the consensus of all management levels. The organisational arrangement is associated with administrative procedure reform; applying information technology, modernising the sector, changing management methods and improving State management effectiveness and efficiency.

The most obvious effect is to reduce the intermediate levels, reduce internal management departments and concentrate resources for the direct operation division, reducing the number of leadership and managerial positions, especially at the branch and team level; purifying the apparatus, contributing to restructuring and saving State funds.

One of the most active implementers is the General Department of Taxation. The whole tax system has "reached the target" in 10 months before in the arrangement and consolidation of the tax department. Implementing Decision No. 41/2018/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister dated September 25, 2018 on the rearrangement of the apparatus towards streamlining and reducing the focal point, along with the rearrangement of the units under the tax departments and district tax authorities were also merged to reduce the focal point. Based on Decision No. 520/QD-BTC of the Minister of Finance dated April 13, 2018, from the end of 2018 to February 2020, the Minister of Finance signed and issued 111 decisions to establish regional taxation branches belonging to 63 tax departments of provinces and cities nationwide. Thereby, the 565 tax departments were organised to consolidate to establish 269 regional tax branches, cutting 296 tax branches. By the end of February, the entire tax system completed the consolidation of tax departments. The number of remaining tax branches after merging is 415 branches (the plan was to reduce to 420 branches), finishing before the deadline by 10 months according to thedecision of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance.

Besides the rearrangement of the apparatus, the improvement of the quality of teams is also a focus of the finance sector. The recent training and retraining has made an important contribution to improving the quality of teams of officials and public employees of the Ministry of Finance, standardising the teams in accordance with the category of public employees and the professional titles of public employees; providing knowledge and skills for officials performing tasks in accordance with their position. At the same time, enhancing the management and administration capabilities of officials, public employees and leaders. The quality of the sector's staff has improved significantly.

Job rotation, transfer and periodical change of positions in units under the Ministry of Finance has gradually come into order and become an important solution in the work of human resources at the Ministry of Finance. The rotation work has overcome a local and closed situation in each unit and each locality, and strengthened the prevention and fight against corruption throughout the sector. Every year, the finance sector has transferred, rotated and changed working positions about 10,000 people.

In tandem with the strengthening of the organisation and management apparatus, in 2015 - 2019, the finance sector has also implemented the general policy of the Party and the Government not to increase the payroll, accordingly, by 2021, at least 10% of the payroll is assigned compared to 2015.

Take the lead and initiative

According to the Ministry of Finance, the restructuring and streamlining of the apparatus has ensured compliance with the Party's guidelines and resolutions and the Government's action plan; publicity, transparency; on the basis of the reality of each unit, the consensus of all management levels; associating apparatus reform with administrative procedure reform; applying information technology, modernising the sector. Apparatus arrangement and payroll streamlining have contributed to budget savings. In 2019 - 2020, about VND 3,000 billion has been saved.

The Ministry of Finance will continue to consolidate and streamline the Ministry of Finance's apparatus to ensure effectiveness and efficiency under Resolution No. 39-NQ/TƯ of the Politburo; Resolution No. 18-NQ/TƯ; Resolution No. 26-NQ/TƯ. The Ministry of Finance will consolidate the organisation of the financial management apparatus and implement decentralisation (fields under the State management functions of the Ministry of Finance) between central and local levels, ensuring the principle of uniform management of the national financial system. At the same time, implementing a clear assignment among levels in mobilising, distributing, managing and using public resources. In addition, building a contingent of officials and employees of the finance sector with sufficient quantity, reasonable structure, appropriate professional qualifications and skills; enhancing responsibilities of heads of authorities and units in anti-corruption work; strictly implement the change of working positions and staff rotation in accordance with regulations.