Headquarters of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. — Photo courtesy of the Việt Nam Government Portal

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), in collaboration with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE), is continuing efforts to streamline and improve the efficiency of the organisational structure within the political system.

MARD has temporarily halted the recruitment and appointment of civil servants and public employees, as well as the restructuring of leadership positions within the ministry and its affiliated units. This suspension will remain in place until the ministry’s restructuring process is completed.

It has issued a summary of the Steering Committee's evaluation of the implementation of Resolution No. 18-NQ/TW from the Politburo, which focuses on streamlining and enhancing the effectiveness of the political system's organisational apparatus.

MARD Minister Lê Minh Hoan, who is also Chairman of the Steering Committee, on Monday confirmed that recruitment and leadership restructuring would remain paused until the ministry’s restructuring is completed.

In cases of necessity, MARD leadership would assess staffing needs and make decisions accordingly, in line with the Politburo's recent directive.

MARD also planned to establish a Party Committee, once the activities of the Party delegation to the ministry conclude.

In terms of the ministry’s organisational structure, MARD would retain two administrative departments, including the Department of Cooperative Economics and Rural Development and the Department of Dikes and Flood Control.

Furthermore, six advisory units would continue to operate, but would merge with corresponding units from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE).

These units include the Department of International Cooperation, the Department of Science and Technology, the Department of Legal Affairs, the Department of Personnel and Organisation, the Ministry’s Office and the Ministry’s Inspectorate.

Additionally, the Department of Planning would merge with the Department of Finance, which would also integrate with MoNRE’s Department of Planning and Finance.

The Department of Irrigation would be merged with the Department of Construction Management to form a new Department of Irrigation Construction and Management.

Similarly, the Department of Crop Production would merge with the Department of Plant Protection to create the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, while the Department of Livestock would merge with the Department of Animal Health to form the Department of Livestock and Animal Health.

The Department of Forestry would merge with the Department of Forest Rangers, to create the Department of Forestry and Forest Rangers, while the departments of fisheries, fisheries inspection, and quality control, processing, and market development would combine into the Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Inspection.

As for the public service units under MARD, five units listed in the ministry's organisational structure would be maintained.

These units include the Institute of Agricultural Strategy and Policy, the Institute of Agricultural and Rural Development Management, Nông Nghiệp Việt Nam (Việt Nam Agriculture) newspaper, the Agricultural and Rural Development Magazine, and the Centre for Digital Transformation and Agricultural Statistics. They would merge with corresponding units from MoNRE during the restructuring process.

The National Agricultural Extension Centre would continue to operate as a public service unit under the ministry.

Meanwhile, the School of Public Policy and Rural Development would remain outside MARD's organisational structure, following a roadmap for restructuring in accordance with higher education network plans approved by the relevant authorities.

Other public service units under MARD would be assessed for potential restructuring as part of the merger with MoNRE, with recommendations to be submitted to higher authorities for review and decision. — VNS