The move comes after the release of Directive No 150-CT/BCSĐ on November 12, 2024, which outlines the intensification of cost-saving practices and anti-wastefulness efforts within the Viet Nam Social Security.

The Directive was issued when the country has been under growing pressure to mobilise resources, invigorate national engagement and push forward into a new era of national development under the leadership of the Party.

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The fight against wastefulness is becoming increasingly urgent, with new challenges emerging that demand immediate and effective actions.

There are several key tasks and solutions outlined in the Directive.

The Directive requests relevant units to strengthen the commitment to the Party’s policies and the State’s legal framework on thrift and wastefulness prevention, positioning that as a core, ongoing responsibility for the Viet Nam Social Security.

Thrift and wastefulness prevention must become ingrained as part of the organisational culture, especially among Party members, civil servants and workers, particularly leaders and managers, to enhance the implementation of social insurance policies, including health, unemployment and social welfare.

It is crucial that Party Committees and leaders at all levels take responsibility for leading and overseeing the implementation of thrift and anti-wastefulness programmes, both in the short and long term.

The Directive stresses the need for recognising and addressing emerging forms of wastefulness and ensuring the sector adopt suitable measures to tackle them.

The units under the Viet Nam Social Security have to make efforts to streamline the organisational structure, ensuring efficiency and effectiveness in operations; improving human resources; and focusing on the training and development of personnel, particularly leadership positions, to ensure the sector to be equipped with capable individuals, who could meet the challenges of the modern landscape.

Reducing bureaucratic red tape to cut down on the time and costs for citizens and businesses is among the requirements under the directive.

A focus on modernising operational processes, integrating information technology and advancing digital transformation would be key to improving efficiency and reducing wastefulness.

The units are required to adhere to regulations on public investment management, ensuring focused, coordinated and cost-effective investment in infrastructure projects, ensuring public funds to be spent transparently and effectively.

It should focus on improving the efficiency of basic construction projects, from project approval and design to implementation and final accounting.

Additionally, the units are tasked to uphold strict financial discipline by adhering to legal regulations and promoting an ethos of thrift in the management of funds and operational costs within the sector.

Measures are advised to be applied to curb excessive spending on public procurement, conferences, meetings and official visits, ensuring that they were in line with set regulations and conducted efficiently, avoiding wasteful or ostentatious displays.

The units need to review and update the regulations on public asset management to ensure that they were in compliance with legal standards; improve utilisation of public property and encourages faster disposal of assets, particularly land and buildings that have been vacated following organisational restructuring.

Strengthening monitoring and inspection activities must be implemented to ensure the implementation of cost-saving and anti-wastefulness measures.

Strict penalties should be imposed on individuals and units found to be responsible for wasteful practices.

Building a culture of thrift and wastefulness prevention within the Viet Nam Social Security is crucial, encouraging staff at all levels to adopt sustainable practices as part of their daily responsibilities.

The ethos should be ingrained in the work culture, aligning personal actions with the broader goal of improving the sector’s efficiency and public service quality.

Implementation, achievements

In terms of implementation, the Viet Nam Social Security’s Party Committee leadership is tasked with overseeing the overall implementation of the directive within their respective areas.

The Party Committee and heads of units at all levels must ensure that all staff, from Party members to civil servants, fully understand and comply with the Directive.

The Trade Unions, Youth Unions and other social organisations are expected to play an active role in encouraging members to adhere to cost-saving and anti-wastefulness principles, and to report any instances of wastefulness or inefficiency.

Finally, the Department of Personnel and Organisation has to collaborate with relevant units to monitor the implementation of the Directive and report progress to the appropriate authorities.

The Directive highlights that in recent years, significant progress had been made in implementing the Party's policies and the State’s laws on thrift and anti-wastefulness measures within the social insurance system.

The Viet Nam Social Security has played an active role in fostering a positive shift across the sector, aligning its operations with national goals for efficiency and sustainability.

Among the achievements, the management of the State’s off-budget financial funds (such as social, unemployment and health insurance funds) has improved significantly.

The administration of the funds, from revenue collection to expenditure control, has been made more robust.

Additionally, the development, procurement and management of assets and infrastructure within the Viet Nam Social Security has been more closely aligned with national standards and cost-saving measures.

The efforts has made a crucial contribution to meeting social security goals, particularly during challenging periods such as the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters.

Despite the successes, the Directive also acknowledges that awareness of the need for thrift and wastefulness prevention was still insufficient among some personnel, and further work is urged to embed the practices into the daily culture of the organisation./.