Streamlining of staff and apparatus of Tax sector does not affect the service quality for tax payer

Mr. Vi Thanh Son, Deputy Director of Personnel and Organization Department under the General Department of Taxation

The General Department of Taxation (GDT) has drastically implemented this task by the development of specific action plans, propaganda as well as ideological stability to carders, civil servants and laborers. The Customs Newspaper interviewed Mr. Vi Thanh Son, Deputy Director of Personnel and Organization Department under the General Department of Taxation.

According to the plan, from now until the end of 2020, the Tax sector will restructure 548 of 711 Tax Branches into 257 Tax Branches. In 2018, 327 Tax Branches will be restructured and merged into 154 Tax Branches. The time for the implementation is quite urgent, so how does the General Department of Taxation deploy this task, Sir?

On 13th April 2018, the Minister of Finance issued Decision 520/QD-BTC approving the plan on the arrangement and merger of Tax Branches of districts and towns into Tax branches centrally-run in cities and provinces. The arrangement and organization of the apparatus must be implemented in accordance with the spirit of Resolution No.18-NQ/TW dated 25th October 2017 of Central Executive Committee, and ensures the streamlining, stability, does not affect the work efficiency, and satisfactory completion of assigned political tasks.

Implementing this task, the GDT has actively studied and developed the Scheme on arrangement and merger of Tax Branches. Accordingly, the Tax sector issued detailed implementation plans, established the Steering Committee for arrangement and merger of Tax branches from the Central to local levels. The GDT has collaborated with Personnel and Organization Department under Ministry of Finance to conduct surveys at Tax Departments in localities in the country to grasp concerns, aspirations and shortcomings in the arrangement and merger. With the high political determination of the entire Tax sector, the establishment of Tax Branches will be implemented in accordance with the progress set out.

The merger of Tax Branches will significantly reduce the number of Tax Branches. The maintenance of these units and mergers with others is not simple, especially the assignment of personnel. Thus, could you tell me about the criteria set out for the arrangement?

The merger of Tax Branches has been researched and developed into the Scheme to ensure that after the establishment, Tax branches will operate better and more effectively, and associate with rearrangement of human resources to streamline staff and reduce costs for the Tax authority, and at the same time, create further favorable conditions for Tax payers to fulfill their Tax obligations to the State budget. In the implementation, the GDT has assigned localities to study and propose plans for the arrangement and merger based on the geographical, cultural and historical factors and other conditions. Thereby, the arrangement and merger will not only be implemented between 2 Central Tax branches, but also local branches are proposed to merge 3 to 4 units to improve the management effectiveness.

The selection and assignment of leaders when merging Tax Branches also have specific criteria. Accordingly, the appointment of new leaders at Tax Branch level or equivalent level under Tax departments and team level under Tax Branches nationwide will be stopped to prioritize the arrangement of leaders under Customs Branches. The head level will be prioritized to be assigned equivalent titles, in case of failure to be assigned equivalent titles, the head level will be assigned deputy head level in appropriate units and will be prioritized to consider to appoint the head level upon requirement.

For Deputy Head level (Deputy Manager and Deputy Head of team), during the arrangement, the number of Deputy Head levels of Tax Branches may be higher than the regulations. In the long term, the number will be transferred and restructured in accordance with regulations. In cases where leaders are transferred and appointed to lower positions, they will still enjoy the leading position allowance and are considered to be supported if they voluntarily retire before their retirement age when rearranging the apparatus.

Civil servants working for internal service teams such as administration, personnel, logistics and finance will remain. After restructuring, the Tax sector will provide measures to gradually streamline staff towards sending to training programs to support specialized units. For redundant civil servants that cannot be assigned, a plan on streamlining will be issued and a report to the competent agencies on supporting policies to ensure the interests of the employees shall be upheld.

Together with the assignment of people, how will facilities, transaction sites be organized not to affect the public service quality of the Tax authority?

During the development of Scheme on merger of Tax Branches, the GDT has considered 3 transaction relationships between Tax authority and Tax payer; Tax authority and relevant authorities in the area and internal relationship of Tax authority. In which, the relationships between the Tax authority and Tax payer is always appreciated toward reducing administrative procedures, time and traveling costs.

In order to meet these requirements, the Tax sector still maintains units in charge of receiving and handling administrative procedures for tax payers at the former Tax offices. At the same time, continue to promote IT application in e-Tax declaration and payment, and reduce administrative procedures to create the most favorable conditions for Taxpayers. When the IT application has met requirements on electronization of administrative procedures, it will consider the restructure of Tax headquarters towards streamlining to save costs, but ensuring normal operation and service quality for taxpayers will be improved.

Thank you, Sir!