At a press conference on the afternoon of 11/9, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vu Chien Thang announced that streamlining and restructuring the apparatus, from central to local levels, represents a large-scale, unprecedented reform. This reform has led to a number of officials, public employees, and civil servants leaving the system.

Decree 178, issued in late 2024, reflects the Party and state's responsibility towards those who left their jobs due to the restructuring. However, its broad implementation under tight deadlines and high demands made shortcomings difficult to avoid. These issues stemmed from varying perceptions, interpretations, and organizational execution in some areas.

"I affirm that Decree 178's policy does not aim to reduce personnel numbers but to streamline the workforce to improve the quality of officials, public employees, and civil servants," Thang said.

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vu Chien Thang at the press conference on the afternoon of 11/9. Photo: Nguyen Phong

According to the Deputy Minister, the State Audit Office identified errors in implementation in some areas, primarily related to responsibility, understanding, interpretation, and execution.

Following the State Audit Office's report to the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Home Affairs instructed all ministries, sectors, and localities to review every case of resignation and benefit disbursement under Decree 178/2024, as amended and supplemented by Decree 67/2025. Clear issues require proactive resolution, while cases beyond local authority will be compiled and reported to the Prime Minister for consideration.

"The spirit is to handle cases strictly after the review results are available, ensuring no state budget loss while maintaining sufficient capacity and personnel within the apparatus to fulfill its duties," the Deputy Minister affirmed.

Addressing the same issue, Vu Hai Nam, Director General of the Organization and Payroll Department, Ministry of Home Affairs, noted that within the sample reviewed by the State Audit Office, the number of violations and errors was not significant, accounting for less than 1%. "The errors identified by the State Audit Office mainly occurred during the implementation phase," he stated.

Nam emphasized that Decree 178 was issued in late 2024, requiring ministries, sectors, and localities to implement it urgently within a short timeframe. This led to inconsistent interpretations and approaches in some areas. When cases of misspent funds are identified, agencies must proactively address them and recover the money for the budget.

For individuals dismissed incorrectly, their potential return to work will depend on the personnel needs of each agency and locality.

Vu Hai Nam, Director General of the Organization and Payroll Department, at the press conference on the afternoon of 11/9. Photo: Nguyen Phong

In late July, the State Audit Office reported to the Prime Minister on its audit of policies for officials, public employees, civil servants, and laborers who left their jobs due to organizational restructuring. This report was based on a sample audit conducted in 10 localities and four central agencies, not a comprehensive review of all nationwide records.

The 10 localities included Ha Noi, TP HCM, Dong Nai, Lam Dong, Dak Lak, Gia Lai, Tay Ninh, Can Tho, Ca Mau, and Son La. The four central agencies were the Government Office and the Ministries of Education and Training, Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Construction. The audit uncovered cases where beneficiaries were incorrectly identified or benefits were miscalculated; specifically in Son La, there were cases of incorrect disbursements and incomplete fund recovery.

The government issued Decree 178 in late 2024, later amended and supplemented by Decree 67/2025. This decree outlines policies and benefits for officials, public employees, civil servants, laborers, and armed forces personnel affected by organizational restructuring. Depending on their specific situation, length of service, and remaining years until retirement age, individuals leaving their jobs may be eligible for early retirement or severance benefits.

According to the State Treasury, by late 2025, the budget had disbursed 163,482 billion VND to 117,073 people who left their jobs under Decree 178.

Vu Tuan