HCM City to support public officials amid high workloads

The headquarters of HCM City’s People’s Committee in District 1. The city administration has approved a project for 2024-30 to create a more efficient civil service.—VNS Photo Bồ Xuân Hiệp

HCM CITY — The HCM City administration has approved a project to create a more efficient civil service by 2030 to better serve the public while promoting its growth.

Phan Văn Mãi, chairman of the People’s Committee, said the project would focus on developing highly skilled civil servants that better serve the public and support city growth.

The initiative includes key tasks such as improving the quality of the public servant workforce, refining organisational structure, investing in infrastructure, and proposing institutional reforms, among others.

Under the project, the city will enhance housing benefits, income support, recognition programmes, and work-life balance for civil servants.

Leadership appointments will involve competitive examinations and will prioritise candidates who exhibit genuine ability, commitment, and creativity.

Individuals who are not members of the Party will also be eligible for consideration. In the past, only Party members have been considered for senior positions in the political system.

The city will also review dismissal regulations and civil servant quality standards.

The city will take measures to support innovative officials and promote remote work.

It will also utilise technology to reduce work pressures, including deploying virtual assistants for civil servants and citizens.

Survey

City authorities recently conducted a survey to evaluate the perspectives of public officials and civil servants regarding the city's civil service.

The results indicated that over 75 per cent of public officials view their workload as significant.

Over 43 per cent are considering alternatives due to low pay, heavy workloads, and limited advancement.

This result has suggested that work-related pressures greatly affect their commitment to public service.

The survey also found that over 80 per cent of officials at the ward, commune, and town levels rated their workloads as high or very high.

In contrast, 70 per cent of civil servants reported satisfaction with workplace relationships and are not inclined to leave for higher salaries.

Despite this, personnel shortages and funding issues persist, contributing to stress among civil servants.

About 50 per cent feel their pay is reasonable for the public sector, according to the survey.

Responses were gathered from 12,869 public officials and 76,601 civil servants. — VNS