HÀ NỘI — Recent personnel recruitment and appointment wrongdoings discovered by inspectors have raised public concern and eroded people’s trust in State public services, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said during a press conference on Tuesday, the Vietnam News Agency’s bnews.vn reported.

Following news reports by local media, the ministry inspected public services in 11 localities nationwide, including Hà Giang, Hạ Sơn Commune in Nghệ An Province, A Lưới District in Thừa Thiên-Huế Province, Buôn Đôn District in Đắk Lắk Province, Bình Định Province, Phong Điền District in Cần Thơ City, Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu Province’s Tax Department under the Ministry of Finance’s Tax General Department, Yên Bái Province, Centre of Forensic Science under Đà Nẵng City’s health department, An Dương District in Hải Phòng City and Kim Thành District in Hải Dương Province.

MHA spokesperson Nguyễn Tiến Thành said MHA inspectors detected wrongdoings in the recruitment and appointment of State officials, adding that the number of deputies in some agencies and units exceeded the number required.

“For example, Thanh Hóa Province’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment has eight deputies; the Bình Định Province’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment has six deputies; 44 out of 46 officials in the Hải Dương Province’s Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs work as deputies whereas the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Thái Nguyên Province has an extra of 23 deputies,” he said.

“The ministry has reported to competent authorities and recommended ways to overcome and deal with shortcomings and bad practices involving the recruitment and appointment of State employees and officials,” said Thành

Following these developments, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has required localities to readjust cadre work to ensure a precise number of deputies as regulated. He also called for proper, by-the-book handling of organisations and individuals that commit wrongdoings.

To increase the number of inspections, the Government Inspectorate has agreed with MHA’s proposals to jointly inspect the cadre work including the recruitment and appointment of officials.

Accordingly, the two agencies will strengthen inspections in 63 provinces and Central cities and assign ministries and localities to carry out inspections in at least 30 per cent of bodies under their management in 2017 and beyond.

Trương Hải Long, Deputy Head of MHA’s Department of Civil Servants, said that the Prime Minister requested that there should be no agencies having an excessive number of deputies as stipulated by Friday.

MHA deputy minister Nguyễn Duy Thăng said the ministry would work with ministries and localities to fix the shortcomings. Violations would be dealt with in line with the law.

In response to a question by the media concerning the appointment of the Director of Yên Bái Province’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment Phạm Sỹ Quý, MHA’s Deputy Chief Inspector said “inspectors discovered out that Quý did not hold a certificate required for department-level leadership.”

“However, later on he attended a State management training programme as assigned by local competent authorities and got a certificate of ’main professional’, which means he was already qualified.” — VNS