Vietnam Streamlines Political Apparatus in Major Overhaul

Vietnam is undertaking a significant overhaul of its political apparatus, from the central government down to local levels, with the aim of streamlining operations and enhancing efficiency. This initiative, which began in late 2024 under the directive of General Secretary and President Tô Lâm, prioritizes "Streamlined - Compact - Strong - High-Functioning - High-Effectiveness - High-Efficiency." Over the past year, the number of organizational units directly under the central government across the Party, State, and the Vietnam Fatherland Front has decreased by approximately 35%, marking the most substantial change in decades, according to data from the Party Central Committee. The Party's central agencies, considered the "strategic brain" of the system, have led the way with a 25% reduction in department-level units and over 35% in section-level units, along with nearly 39% of public non-business units. Within the State apparatus, the Government's structure has been reduced by 23%, while the National Assembly Office has shrunk from 35 to 17 units. The Fatherland Front and political-social organizations have merged six advisory and support agencies into a single entity: the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee. Data from central and local agencies compiled by VnExpress reveals structural changes down to the bureau and department levels within agencies under the Party, the President's office, the National Assembly, the Government (excluding the Ministries of Public Security and National Defense due to their special nature), the People's Supreme Court, the People's Supreme Procuracy, and the Fatherland Front. Specifically, the Government has undergone the most extensive restructuring. The President's office, already compact, saw minimal changes, losing only the Emulation and Awards Department and eliminating section-level offices by March 2025. The National Assembly, as of February 2025, now comprises nine committees, a reduction of four through mergers. Two public non-business units, the Legislative Research Institute and National Assembly Television, have ceased operations. The National Assembly Office itself reduced its units from 35 to 17 and cut 37 section-level units. The Government's structure has been significantly streamlined, with a reduction of 13 general departments, 505 bureaus, 235 departments, 3,377 sub-departments, and 82 public non-business units. Two "super-ministries" have been formed: the Ministry of Finance (35 units) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (30 units), both resulting from the merger of previously separate ministries. This streamlining has reduced their respective units by 37% and 45%. In the judicial system, the People's Supreme Court and People's Supreme Procuracy will transition from a three-tiered structure (central, provincial, district) to a new model of "central, provincial, and regional" by July 1, 2025, effectively abolishing district-level courts and procuracies. Three High Courts of Appeal will be established in Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City to handle appeals from provincial-level courts. This nationwide restructuring reflects the Vietnamese government's commitment to enhancing administrative efficiency, eliminating redundancies, and optimizing resource allocation in line with its ongoing economic development and modernization goals.