In a bid to ease payroll pressure on the national budget and improve staff performance, the Prime Minister has decided to reduce the number of those on the State payroll by 1.4 per cent at all levels next year. — Photo thuonggiathitruong.vn

HÀ NỘI — In a bid to ease payroll pressure on the national budget and improve staff performance, the Prime Minister has decided to reduce the number of those on the State payroll by 1.4 per cent at all levels next year.

Under the PM’s decision, the total number of government staff and officers at ministries, localities and government agencies on State payroll in various sectors next year will be 269,084, a reduction of 3,832 people compared to this year’s figure.

Specifically, the number of public employees will be 268,084, including those working for State agencies from central to district levels and overseas representative offices.

The number of "State employees of association" that operate with special treatment - like Việt Nam Fatherland Front, Labour Confederation, Việt Nam War Veterans Association and Việt Nam Women’s Union - will be 686.

The Prime Minister authorised the Ministry of Home Affairs to allocate government staff on the State payroll to each ministry, agency and locality.

He also directed ministries, agencies and localties to carefully arrange employees’ roles relevant to their abilities and responsibilities.

According to Lê Vĩnh Tân, Minister of Home Affairs, over 10,000 civil servants lost their jobs in the first half of this year, raising the number of employees removed from the country’s administrative system to 15,799 since the beginning of 2015.

However, he said, the figures fell short of the target of removing 40,000 staff, or 1.5 per cent of the current 2.6 million employees on the State payroll.

The MoHA has set a target of reducing 100,000 State employees between 2014 and 2020.

Earlier in April last year, Central Committee Politburo issued a resolution calling for a reduction of the number of staff on the State payroll at all levels.

Accordingly, at least 10 per cent of government staff and officers at ministries, localities and government agencies on State payroll in various sectors will be reduced by 2021.

The resolution states that education and health sectors must closely monitor the number of staff on the State payroll, even though there will be increased demand for staff for new schools and hospitals.

The Party also called to re-assess the professional quality of those on the State payroll and investigate if any employees needed to be reshuffled. -- VNS