How one government move is threatening 80,000 jobs in Vietnam
Vietnam’s parliament has approved a major plan to cut government jobs and merge many provinces and cities.
This plan forms efforts by the government to save money and make the public service work better.
The move will reduce the number of provinces and cities from 63 to just 34, leading to a loss of jobs for almost 80,000 government workers.
This is one of the biggest reforms in Vietnam since the country was founded in 1945. The government says it wants to move from being slow and bureaucratic to serving people more actively.
The vote passed easily in the National Assembly, which is controlled by the Communist Party as only one person voted against the plan.
Some officials who have worked for the government for decades have expressed grief over the possible loss of their jobs, even though they will receive compensation.
The names of many provinces will also disappear after the changes.
All new provincial leaders will be announced on June 30, and the new system will start in July.
Meanwhile, Vietnam is also planning to change the constitution so that the district level of government is removed. That means the country will only have two levels of administration, instead of three: provinces and communes.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
