The initiative aims to enhance efficiency, reduce overlapping functions, and ease budgetary burdens while ensuring transparency and effectiveness.

The reorganisation process has been widely discussed among officials, public servants, and civil servants, with various plans and solutions being considered. As the restructuring and staff reductions directly impact personnel, they significantly affect the morale of public and civil servants, particularly those in agencies or units slated for mergers or closures.

In any context, mechanisms and policies related to personnel tend to attract significant attention and often present considerable challenges during implementation.

As the implementation of Resolution 18-NQ/TW progresses, the Party, State, and Government are calling for concerted and resolute efforts across the political system to reorganise and streamline administrative structures. This includes reducing intermediary levels within agencies and units and merging entities with overlapping functions.

Resolving personnel interests and employment issues has made the restructuring process particularly challenging. At a government conference reviewing the implementation of Resolution 18-NQ/TW, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính acknowledged the difficulties but emphasised that the task must be completed despite these challenges. He highlighted that the current administrative apparatus is overly complex, with numerous intermediary levels creating bottlenecks in work processes.

Việt Nam is entering an era of national resurgence, but its development is hindered by a cumbersome, multi-layered bureaucracy. An overly complex political system with excessive intermediaries reduces management flexibility, wastes resources, and undermines public trust through lengthy and inefficient administrative processes.

At the same time, many public and civil servants face inadequate salaries that fail to meet basic living needs, forcing them to take on additional jobs during working hours to supplement their income. Addressing these issues requires not only reorganising the administrative apparatus but also reviewing policies to manage surplus personnel after restructuring.

With the nation gearing up for Party congresses at all levels for the 2025–2030 term, the timing for reorganisation is critical. Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has stressed that merging and streamlining agencies should go beyond reducing headcount. The focus must also be on eliminating overlapping functions to enhance transparency and improve management efficiency.

In alignment with central directives, Điện Biên Province has rigorously implemented Resolution 18-NQ/TW across all levels. A provincial steering committee has been established, and agencies and localities are executing plans to merge and streamline organisational structures.

Key measures include merging the Provincial Party Committee’s Mass Mobilisation Commission with the Publicity and Education Commission, disbanding the Party Committee of the Provincial People's Committee to form a Provincial Government Party Committee, and consolidating specialised agencies under the Provincial and District People’s Committees. For agencies not subject to mergers, the Party Committee of the Provincial People’s Committee has mandated a reduction in internal organisational units by 15–20 per cent and staffing levels by 5–10 per cent.

Inter-agency coordinating committees and task forces have been reviewed, with only essential ones retained. However, surplus personnel remain a pressing issue that cannot be resolved overnight. The province’s plan includes encouraging early retirement for those close to retirement age or those wishing to transition to the private sector. Simultaneously, efforts are underway to restructure and improve the quality of the public workforce to enhance state management efficiency and meet the demands of this new development phase.

With decisive leadership from central authorities and strong determination from local governments, Việt Nam aims to transform its bloated administrative apparatus into one that is lean, effective, and capable. The reforms also seek to retain talented and competent individuals while addressing inefficiencies and removing those who rely on public budgets without contributing meaningfully.

In reality, recurrent expenditures remain disproportionately high, accounting for approximately 70 per cent of total spending, leaving limited resources for development investment. This imbalance hampers progress on national target programmes and social welfare initiatives. By reorganising and streamlining the administrative apparatus, fiscal burdens can be reduced, freeing up resources for development projects and improving social welfare outcomes.

Ministries, agencies, and local governments are actively working to implement these reforms. While the task is daunting, these efforts represent a crucial step toward addressing the inefficiencies of a bloated system. Success will require unwavering determination and commitment to this revolutionary overhaul.