Vietnam’s Government Restructuring: 14 Ministries, 3 Agencies
On February 18, 2025, the Vietnam National Assembly approved a major reshuffling of the government structure, reducing the number of ministries to 14 and introducing 3 new government agencies. This restructuring aims to streamline operations and improve administrative efficiency in the 15th National Assembly’s term.
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Key Changes in Ministry and Agency Mergers
Several ministries have been merged to optimize operations and consolidate overlapping functions:
- Ministry of Construction: Merged from the Ministry of Construction and Ministry of Transport. The new ministry retains the functions of both departments, with Trần Hồng Minh as the Minister.
- Ministry of Agriculture and Environment: A merger of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, with Đỗ Đức Duy as the new Minister.
- Ministry of Science and Technology: Now includes responsibilities from the Ministry of Information and Communications, with Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng continuing as Minister.
- Ministry of Home Affairs: This new structure merges Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs, with Phạm Thị Thanh Trà as the Minister.
New Ministries and Functions
The Ministry of Finance has also undergone significant changes, merging functions from the Ministry of Planning and Investment, including the Social Insurance Vietnam and state-owned enterprise management. Nguyễn Văn Thắng will serve as the Minister of Finance.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Increased Leadership
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will see an increase in leadership roles. The restructuring increases the number of Deputy Ministers in several departments, including:
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs: With up to 7 Deputy Ministers
- Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Construction: Can now appoint up to 9 Deputy Ministers.
- Ministry of Internal Affairs: Will have up to 7 Deputy Ministers.
- State Bank of Vietnam: The number of Deputy Governors will also increase to 6.
Key Positions and Leadership in New Government Structure
In addition to the new structure, key government positions remain critical for overseeing operations:
- Ministry of Defense: General Phan Văn Giang continues as Minister.
- Ministry of Public Security: General Lương Tam Quang as Minister.
- Ministry of Justice: Nguyễn Hải Ninh remains as Minister.
- Ministry of Industry and Trade: Nguyễn Hồng Diên continues as Minister.
- Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism: Nguyễn Văn Hùng remains in charge.
- Ministry of Education and Training: Nguyễn Kim Sơn stays as Minister.
- Ministry of Health: Đào Hồng Lan continues as Minister.
This reorganization is part of a broader effort to optimize government operations, improve efficiency, and better address the growing demands of modern governance. While this new structure offers significant changes, it is expected to take time before the full impact is felt. The increased leadership roles and the merging of ministries are expected to address overlapping functions and improve decision-making processes.
As these changes take effect, it will be interesting to monitor how the government adapts to these reforms and whether they bring the expected benefits to Vietnam’s administrative landscape.
