VietNamNet Bridge – Minister of Home Affairs Nguyen Thai Binh said at a Q&A session before the National Assembly (NA) that each ministry has an average of 5.4 deputy ministers while the regulations limit the number at four.

Minister of Home Affairs Nguyen Thai Binh – Photo: VNS

According to NA deputy Bui Thi An, many voters have complained there are so many deputy heads at both central and local levels, resulting in cumbersome bureaucracy. Therefore, An requested to explanations about reasons and solutions from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Replying to An, Binh said there are no strict regulations on the number of deputy ministers. Ministries and ministerial-level agencies should have four deputy ministers, and if any agency wants more, they can seek approval from the competent authorities, such as the Government, the Party Central Committee’s Organization Commission, the Party Secretariat and the Prime Minister.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has many times proposed restricting the number of deputy ministers but there are debates among ministries and agencies and a common voice failed to be reached, Binh explained.

According to Binh, general departments should have three deputy heads but the actual average number is 3.69. Similarly, at the department level and the provincial department level, the respective figures are three compared to 3.04 and three compared to 3.06.

“One undeniable thing is that at some agencies or departments, the appointment of deputy heads does not derive from the actual demand but from a special reason,” Binh said.

“It can be seen that at all administrative bodies, the number of deputy heads is higher than permitted. If two many deputy heads are appointed, it will cause waste for the State budget,” he said.

Regarding a comprehensive investigation into irregularities at the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s exams to recruit civil servants, Binh said the Ministry of Home Affairs is completing documents and working with investigators to release the results of the probe.

Such an explanation given by Binh failed to satisfy most NA deputies.

Responding to deputy Do Van Duong’s question about why there are few people qualified to work for State agencies while the number of incapable ones is high, Binh said the question is not easy to answer.

According to Binh, the mechanism of rewarding and punishment is not strict, wages and remunerations are slowly improved, the recruitment process has yet to be able to select capable ones.

He added the Ministry of Home Affairs is drafting a Government decree on providing special treatment for competent people, and presenting a scheme to reduce the number of incompetent ones.

“With this scheme which consists of many strong measures, I hope the bureaucracy will be less cumbersome and only capable ones can be appointed,” he said.    

SGT/VNN