The plan to reorganize and streamline the Government apparatus has just been signed by Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh (Plan 140). In this plan, the merger of the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Ministry of Science and Technology has been determined.
The name of the new Ministry after the merger is expected to be the Ministry of Digital Transformation, Science, Technology and Communications or the Ministry of Digital Transformation and Science and Technology.
The new ministry will perform state management functions in sectors and fields currently assigned to the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Ministry of Science and Technology.
The name must ensure inheritance and cover functions and tasks.
The merger of ministries aims to perfect the multi-sectoral, multi-field management organizational model as required in Party resolutions and the direction of General Secretary To Lam. At the same time, the merger also aims to reasonably adjust the division of state management for a number of sectors and fields, and overcome overlaps and interferences in functions and tasks between ministries and ministerial-level agencies.
Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra said that the names of the agencies after the merger and arrangement must ensure continuity and cover the basic functions and tasks of the ministry.
According to the Government's orientation, with the current State management areas of the Ministry of Information and Communications (digital transformation, digital infrastructure, digital technology industry and press - media), the name "Ministry of Digital Transformation, Science, Technology and Communications" will be suitable and cover all the management areas of the two current Ministries.
The Government has also assigned the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Ministry of Science and Technology to establish a Joint Steering Committee co-chaired by the leaders of the two ministries to develop a project to merge the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Ministry of Science and Technology; to arrange, restructure and drastically reduce the internal organization to perform functions, tasks and powers after merging the two ministries.
Including the drafting of a Decree regulating the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Digital Transformation, Science, Technology and Communications or the Ministry of Digital Transformation and Science and Technology.
Creating a breakthrough in the country's digital transformation
In the article on the occasion of National Day September 2 "Digital transformation - An important driving force for developing productive forces, perfecting production relations, bringing the country into a new era", General Secretary To Lam gave many remarkable new perspectives on digital transformation and science and technology.
According to the General Secretary, we are facing the need for a revolution with strong and comprehensive reforms to adjust production relations and create new momentum for development. That is the digital transformation revolution, applying science and technology to restructure production relations in line with the remarkable progress of productive forces.
“Digital transformation is not simply the application of digital technology to socio-economic activities, but also the process of establishing a new, advanced and modern production method - “digital production method”, in which the characteristic of the productive forces is the harmonious combination of humans and artificial intelligence; data becomes a resource, an important means of production; at the same time, production relations also have profound changes, especially in the form of ownership and distribution of digital means of production,” the General Secretary’s article stated.
One of the tasks that the General Secretary mentioned in this article is to reform and build a streamlined, effective and efficient state apparatus; cut down on unnecessary intermediaries, and reorganize the organization in a multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary direction... In this task, the General Secretary clearly stated the need to promote the application of information technology, build a digital platform to connect and share data between agencies and organizations.
In addition, the General Secretary also emphasized that promoting digital transformation associated with ensuring security and safety is an objective necessity for Vietnam to make a breakthrough in the new era and requires focusing on building a digital society, developing a digital economy, and developing digital citizens.
Specifically, focus on building a digital society, comprehensively digitizing state management activities, providing high-level online public services. Synchronously connecting national databases on population, land, and enterprises, creating a foundation for streamlining the apparatus and substantially reforming administrative procedures.
With new perspectives on digital transformation, science and technology as analyzed by the General Secretary, the merger of the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Ministry of Science and Technology into the Ministry of Digital Transformation, Science, Technology and Communications or the Ministry of Digital Transformation and Science and Technology is a step to realize two revolutions. That is the digital transformation revolution and the revolution of streamlining the organization of the political system.
Also on December 5, Head of the Central Organizing Committee Le Minh Hung (Deputy Head of the Central Steering Committee for summarizing Resolution No. 18) signed and issued Official Dispatch No. 21 on implementing the task of summarizing Resolution No. 18.
In which, the Government Party Committee presides over and coordinates with the Central Organizing Committee and relevant agencies to develop plans to arrange, merge, and dissolve ministries and ministerial-level agencies according to the suggested content and orientation on the arrangement of the apparatus for ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and agencies under the Government, and submits it to the Politburo for comments before January 15, 2025 for submission to the Central Committee.
The Government submitted to the National Assembly (extraordinary session at the end of February 2025) two contents:
One is to submit a Resolution of the National Assembly on the establishment and dissolution of a number of ministries (before February 28, 2025).
Second, consider amending and supplementing the following laws: Law on Government Organization, Law on Local Government Organization, and related legal documents after the Central Executive Committee and the Politburo give their approval on streamlining the organizational apparatus (before February 28, 2025).
The Government shall issue decrees stipulating the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of each ministry and ministerial-level agency (for ministries and ministerial-level agencies, the arrangement shall be made according to the Resolution/Conclusion of the Central Executive Committee) before March 15, 2025.
The Central Steering Committee also requested the Government to lead and direct ministries and ministerial-level agencies to perfect their functions, tasks, and powers, and to streamline departments, units, and affiliated organizations before March 15, 2025.
