Vietnam’s public security ministry set for major streamlining overhaul

Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security has suggested slashing the numbers of its units it operates by half after being ordered to restructure and "build a focused and lean machine" designed for "effective work."

The ministry has six general departments and two high commands, and under each of them are dozens of small units.

Under a directive issued earlier by the Politburo, the Communist Party's all-powerful decision-making body, some of these units will be scrapped.

In an interview with VnExpress on Wednesday, Lieutenant General Tran Dinh Nha, a former senior official at the ministry, said it has suggested cutting the current 130 units by more than half to around 60.

“Streamlining the system by reducing staff numbers can save costs and avoid overlaps, and it will not affect the police service, so why don’t we do that?” he said.

Some of the current units will be merged under the plan.

“The ministry may ask some senior workers to take early retirement, and also move some officers from central units to local agencies in towns and districts,” he said.

The government might pay off workers who are made redundant.

The efforts will start before 2021 depending on the government, said Nguyen Thanh Hong, permanent member of the defense and security committee on the legislative National Assembly.