The session was chaired by Mr. Lò Văn Phương, Member of the Standing Board of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Council, and Mrs. Giàng Thị Hoa, Member of the Standing Board of the provincial Party Committee and Vice Chairwoman of the provincial People’s Council.

Attending the session were Mr. Mùa A Sơn, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee; Mr. Lê Thành Đô, Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee; leaders of the provincial People’s Committee, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Điện Biên Province, the Delegation of National Assembly deputies of Điện Biên Province, and 44 out of 50 provincial People’s Council deputies.

In his opening remarks, Chairman Lò Văn Phương emphasized that this thematic session held significant importance in addressing urgent matters and concretizing the directives from the Central Party Committee and the provincial Party Committee on establishing and restructuring specialized agencies under the provincial People’s Committee. The objective is to create a lean, efficient, and effective administrative system that meets the demands of modern governance.

At the session, the provincial People’s Committee submitted a proposal for the establishment of six specialized agencies under the provincial administration: The Department of Finance, formed by merging the Department of Planning and Investment and the Department of Finance; Department of Construction, formed by merging the Department of Construction and the Department of Transport (the function of driver’s license testing and issuance will be transferred to the provincial Public Security Department); Department of Science and Technology, formed by merging the Department of Information and Communications and the Department of Science and Technology (the state management functions on information, press, and publishing will be transferred to the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, while network security management will be transferred to the provincial Public Security Department); Department of Agriculture and Environment, formed by merging the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment; Department of Home Affairs, formed by merging the Department of Home Affairs and the Department of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs (with some functions transferred as follows: Religious and belief management to the provincial Ethnic Affairs Committee, forming the Commission for Ethnic and Religious Affairs; vocational education management to the Department of Education and Training; drug rehabilitation and post-rehabilitation management to the provincial Public Security Department; social protection, child protection, and social evils prevention (excluding drug-related issues) to the Department of Health; poverty reduction management to the Department of Agriculture and Environment); Commission for Ethnic and Religious Affairs, formed by upgrading the provincial Ethnic Affairs Committee, which will take over religious and belief management from the Department of Home Affairs (administrative and specialized inspection functions will be transferred to the provincial Inspectorate).

The provincial People’s Committee also proposed maintaining the existing names of several departments while modifying and streamlining their internal structures, including: Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism (now includes press, publishing, and information management); Department of Education and Training (now includes vocational education management); Department of Health (now includes social protection, child protection, and social evils prevention); Department of Industry and Trade (now manages market management, with the Provincial Market Management Bureau transitioning from the Ministry of Industry and Trade to become a unit under this department); Department of Justice (transfers judicial record management to the provincial Public Security Department and administrative inspection to the Provincial Inspectorate); Department of Foreign Affairs; Office of the provincial People’s Committee; provincial Inspectorate (now in charge of administrative and specialized inspections from other agencies).

After restructuring, the number of specialized agencies under the provincial People’s Committee will be reduced to 14 departments, sectors and agencies.

The provincial People’s Committee proposed that in 2025, the total civil servant staffing in the People’s Councils and People’s Committees at the provincial and district levels be 2,064 positions.

During discussions, all 44 deputies of the provincial People’s Council unanimously agreed to establish the new specialized agencies under the provincial People’s Committee. Five delegates contributed opinions on the draft resolution regarding civil servant staffing adjustments.

At the voting session, all 44 deputies of the provincial People’s Council unanimously approved both draft resolutions: Draft resolution on the Establishment of Specialized Agencies under the Điện Biên Provincial People’s Committee, and Draft resolution on Determining the Civil Servant Staffing Structure for 2025.

The resolutions stipulate that the total number of civil servant positions in the People’s Councils and People’s Committees at the provincial and district levels for 2025 will be 2,064. The provincial People’s Committee is responsible for implementing the resolutions in accordance with legal regulations. Both resolutions take effect from March 1, 2025.

In his closing remarks, Chairman Lò Văn Phương urged the provincial People’s Committee to immediately implement the resolutions, specifying the functions, duties, powers, and organizational structures of the newly established agencies. He also instructed the relevant departments to facilitate the transfer of responsibilities, finances, assets, and personnel to ensure a smooth transition without disrupting governmental functions.

He called on the provincial People’s Council deputies to inform constituents about the session’s outcomes and enhance oversight of the implementation of these resolutions.