The Ministry of Justice has just announced the dossier for appraisal of the draft Decree stipulating the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Ethnic Minorities and Religious Affairs (Ministry of Ethnic Minorities). The draft is drafted by the Ministry of Ethnic Minorities.
According to the draft Decree, the organizational structure of the Ministry of DTTG includes 12 units: Department of Planning - Finance; Department of Organization and Personnel; Department of Legal Affairs; Department of International Cooperation; Department of Propaganda on DTTG work; Office; Government Committee for Religious Affairs; Department of Strategy - Ethnic Policy; Digital Transformation Center; DTTG Academy; VietNamNet Newspaper; DTTG Research Magazine.
Through review and assessment, the organizational structure of the Ministry in the 2021-2026 Government term is basically reasonable and suitable to the assigned functions, tasks, and powers. State management units and non-business units have basically performed their assigned functions and tasks correctly, effectively and efficiently in advising state management in each specialized field.
Departments, Government Committees for Religious Affairs, Ministry Office and non-business units serving state management functions under the Ministry all meet the criteria for establishment. Therefore, the Ministry of Religious Affairs proposes to maintain the stability of 7 state management units including: Department of Planning - Finance; Department of Organization and Personnel; Department of Legal Affairs; Department of International Cooperation; Department of Propaganda on ethnic and religious affairs; Office; Government Committee for Religious Affairs (Department type 2).
The Ministry proposed to establish the Department of Strategy - Ethnic Policy (Department type 2) based on the Policy Department and supplement additional tasks. The reason for this proposal is based on the direction of the Central Government in the Document of the 14th Party Congress; the conclusion of the Politburo and the Strategy for Ethnic Affairs in the period 2021-2030, vision to 2045.
The establishment of the department to meet development requirements in the new period, General Secretary and President To Lam affirmed that there needs to be a more strategic, synchronous and substantive approach to ethnic affairs and ethnic policies. Ethnic affairs must be placed in the overall strategy of national development.
Currently, the Ministry of EMC manages the state for 2 main tasks: On EMC. For the task of state management of religion, the Ministry has the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, implementing state management of religion and belief. For the ethnic minority sector, there is currently only the Policy Department, so it is necessary to establish the Department of Strategy - Ethnic Minority Policy to strengthen state management of advising, researching and planning strategies and organizing implementation of ethnic minority policies; ensuring compliance with the Party's policy on strengthening ethnic minority policies in the new situation.
It is expected that the Department of Ethnic Minority Strategy and Policy will perform functions and tasks to advise and assist the Minister in state management of ethnic minority policies, science and technology, basic surveys and environmental protection; preside over the development of legal normative documents and specific policies for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, especially in difficult areas, border areas, and safe zones.
Proposal to keep 3 public non-business units, rename the Ethnic Academy
The draft submission states that the Ministry of DTTG will not organize departments within the Department; the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, the Department of Ethnic Minority Affairs and the Ministry Office have a department-level structure according to regulations. The Department of DTTG Propaganda continues to maintain 2 departments headquartered in Dak Lak province and Can Tho city.
The Ministry also proposed to maintain the stability of 3 public non-business units: VietNamNet Newspaper, DTTG Research Magazine, Digital Transformation Center.
The Ethnic Academy is proposed to be renamed DTTG Academy to suit the state management functions of the Ministry and the actual functions and tasks of the Ethnic Academy today. The Ethnic Academy is a public non-business unit, another educational institution with higher education activities.
From March 1, 2025, when the Ministry established the Ethnic Academy, the field of education, training, and research on beliefs and religions was added. Therefore, renaming is necessary to cover the functions and tasks of the Academy.
