NA President: Decentralisation Must Not Fragment Responsibility

National Assembly (NA) President Tran Thanh Man has urged that decentralisation efforts must not lead to fragmented responsibility, emphasizing that agencies directly managing, assigning, and employing personnel should bear primary accountability for their assessment and performance. He specifically highlighted the need for advisory bodies of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee to strengthen guidance, supervision, and early risk warnings. This directive comes amidst Vietnam's push to accelerate the transfer of authority from the central government to local administrations and various departments as part of ongoing administrative reforms. Prime Minister has instructed that draft laws must support management reform and stronger decentralisation, with ministries expected to complete apparatus restructuring tied to decentralisation by October. However, concerns have been raised by some lawmakers regarding the necessity of tighter power controls alongside stronger decentralisation for megacities. Under its socialist one-party system, Vietnam prioritises economic growth and is progressively decentralising authority while maintaining a centralised governance structure. This is particularly relevant for economic hubs like Ho Chi Minh City. However, the challenge lies in ensuring transparency and accountability to mitigate risks of corruption and inefficiency that can accompany decentralisation. The NA President's remarks underscore the complexities of these reforms and point towards a path for overcoming them.