Vietnam Prime Minister assigns work to 5 deputy PMs

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has assigned work to his five deputies, with Nguyen Hoa Binh as standing Deputy Prime Minister.

Previously, on Monday, the National Assembly, Vietnam’s highest legislative body, approved the appointment of Nguyen Hoa Binh, Ho Duc Phoc and Bui Thanh Son as Deputy PMs for the 2021-2026 term.

Following the appointments, the cabinet now includes PM Pham Minh Chinh and five Deputy PMs: Nguyen Hoa Binh, Tran Hong Ha, Le Thanh Long, Ho Duc Phoc and Bui Thanh Son.

Under a prime ministerial decision released on Wednesday, Binh will be on behalf of the Prime Minister to direct the Government’s affairs when the PM is absent and is authorized by the PM.

He will direct works related to investment and planning; macroeconomic forecasts and policies; developing types of businesses; collective and cooperative economy; preventing and fighting crimes, smuggling, trade fraud and corruption; inspecting and resolving complaints and denunciations; ethnicity and religion issues; emulation and rewards; administrative reform; and digital transformation.

The standing Deputy PM is also in charge of amnesty and judicial reform; coordinating work between the Government and the Supreme People’s Court/the Supreme People’s Procuracy; and giving in-principle approvals for projects within his authority in the assigned fields.

Binh will oversee the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government Inspectorate, Ethnic Committee, and Government Office, among some other assignments.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha retains part of his current work and has some new assignments.

He is in charge of transportation; traffic order and safety; construction resources and environment; climate change; agriculture and rural development; flood and storm-related prevention, control, search and rescue; national, regional and provincial master plans.

Ha will direct key national projects within his authority in the assigned fields; economic zones, industrial parks, and export processing zones; general mechanisms and policies on bidding; and give in-principle approvals for projects under his authority in the assigned fields.

He will also direct the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Construction, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, Hanoi National University, and Ho Chi Minh City National University.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long retains his current duties, except that he no longer holds the concurrent position of Minister of Justice.

Long will direct the building of institutions and a socialist rule-of-law state; international disputes and complaints; education and training; labor, employment and social issues; hunger eradication and poverty reduction; culture, tourism, fitness, sports; health, population, family and children issues; and gives in-principle approvals for projects within his authority in the assigned fields.

He in charge of the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Education and Training, Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc will direct the areas of finance and prices; currency, banking; capital market and stock market; financial investment sources; State reserves; State budget expenditures, use of State budget reserves, financial reserve funds, foreign exchange and other State funds; issuance of government bonds; salary and social insurance policies; reorganization and reform of state-owned enterprises.

Phoc is responsible for general mechanisms and policies related to public asset management and information-communication issues. He concurrently holds the position of Minister of Finance until there is replacement.

He is in charge of the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Information and Communications, State Bank of Vietnam, Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises, Vietnam Social Insurance, National Financial Supervisory Commission, Vietnam Bank for Social Policies, Vietnam Development Bank, and Deposit Insurance.

Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son is in charge of most of the work that former Deputy PM Tran Luu Quang was responsible for.

He will monitor the fields of diplomacy and foreign relations; official development assistance (ODA) and preferential loan mobilization; foreign non-governmental aid, foreign non-governmental organizations; international integration; negotiations and implementation of bilateral and multilateral international commitments.

Son is also in charge of foreign direct investment (FDI), Vietnam’s overseas investment, the country’s relations with international and regional organizations; border work and East Sea and island issues; issues related to Vietnamese people abroad and foreigners in Vietnam; human rights; industry; trade and im-export; petroleum storage and supply; logistics services; energy security, using energy economically and effectively; science and technology.

Along with holding the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs, Son will oversee the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Science and Technology, and Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology.