Speaking at the first National Congress of the Ministry of Home Affairs for the 2025-2030 term on the afternoon of 18/8, deputy prime minister Nguyen Hoa Binh urged the ministry to promptly advise the Party and the Government on perfecting institutions related to officials, public employees, and workers.

Binh stated that the country has a streamlined apparatus, but if it is not "refined," it will not meet requirements. The decisive factor for "refinement" is the quality of personnel.

He requested the Ministry of Home Affairs to develop policies to identify, attract, retain, and value talent, and to evaluate officials. "This is a central and breakthrough task for the home affairs sector, but it is also a bottleneck in current personnel work," the deputy prime minister said. He assigned the Ministry of Home Affairs to research and propose a set of criteria and evaluation methods to clearly distinguish and utilize officials who are proficient, diligent, and compassionate, and "eliminate those who lack integrity and competence despite being cunning and scheming."

The deputy prime minister acknowledged the difficulty of this task but believed it achievable by combining the insight and impartiality of home affairs personnel with the objective assessment of artificial intelligence.

Deputy prime minister Nguyen Hoa Binh speaking on the afternoon of 18/8. Photo: Nguyen Phong

Deputy prime minister Nguyen Hoa Binh speaking on the afternoon of 18/8. Photo: Nguyen Phong

"We must advise the Party and the Government on identifying and evaluating talent for important roles. We must build a substantive, comprehensive, and multi-faceted personnel evaluation system based on specific criteria, implementing the principle of entry, exit, promotion, and demotion," the deputy prime minister noted.

To implement this policy, he suggested a robust and regular screening mechanism to remove incompetent and irresponsible officials, along with exceptional incentives to attract and retain talent. Those who dare to think, act, and take responsibility for the common good need effective protection mechanisms. "High-quality human resources are the most valuable asset for national development," Binh said.

Regarding the recent administrative apparatus reform, the deputy prime minister considered it "a great breakthrough, ushering in a new era and development space for the country." The new apparatus, new space, new tasks, and new decentralization pose numerous challenges, especially at the grassroots level. Therefore, he urged all levels to be decisive, practical, and adopt new thinking and working methods for the apparatus to operate effectively and promote national development.

The Ministry of Home Affairs needs to care for people with meritorious services and work towards a multi-tiered, flexible, and modern social security system. All those with meritorious services and their families must be guaranteed a standard of living equal to or higher than the local population.

Regarding emulation and commendation, the deputy prime minister frankly pointed out deviations, such as leaders receiving more awards than workers. Commendations are often anticipated and expected for acts of courage and outstanding achievements that touch people's hearts. In some places, awards are geared more towards image-building and promotion than motivating task completion.

Citing examples like Ma Seo Chu in Kho Vang (Lao Cai) and village head Mua A Thi in Dien Bien, who bravely rescued people during storms and floods, the deputy prime minister urged commendation agencies to promptly identify and honor exemplary individuals and good people.

The first National Congress of the Ministry of Home Affairs, afternoon of 18/8. Photo: Nguyen Phong

The first National Congress of the Ministry of Home Affairs, afternoon of 18/8. Photo: Nguyen Phong

Earlier, in her opening speech at the Congress, Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra stated that the country faces new development opportunities alongside many challenges.

The Congress takes place as the country implements historic and strategically groundbreaking decisions to step firmly into an era of prosperity and affluence. The highlights include the administrative apparatus reform, the rearrangement of administrative units at all levels, and the organization of two-level local government. The Party is urging the promotion of science and technology development, innovation, and digital transformation; promoting international integration; developing the legal framework; and developing the private sector.

Faced with new opportunities, Tra said that the Party Committee of the Ministry of Home Affairs needs to exert greater effort, show greater determination, improve forecasting capacity, and enhance the effectiveness of state management.

At the Congress, Pham Thi Thanh Tra was appointed Secretary of the Party Committee of the Ministry of Home Affairs for the 2025-2030 term.

Vu Tuan