The New Year 2025 not only marks 50 years of unification, but is also a milestone that the community believes will enter the “New Era of Development - The Era of Rising of the Vietnamese People”.
Looking back at 2024, it is not difficult to see that Vietnam has had changes that have been ignited in every industry, every field, every locality to create a breakthrough. And when 2025 knocks on the door, the jubilant atmosphere is joined by the community, as General Secretary Tô Lâm affirmed: “The destination of the rising era is a rich people, a strong country, democracy, fairness, civilization, developing under the Socialist regime, standing shoulder to shoulder with the world powers. The top priority in the new era is to successfully implement the strategic goals by 2030, Vietnam will become a developing country with modern industry and high average income; by 2045 it will become a developed socialist country with high income; strongly arouse national spirit, spirit of self-reliance, self-confidence, self-reliance, national pride, and aspiration for national development; closely combine national strength with the strength of the times".
To have an era of rising up, two major policies have been implemented synchronously in 2025: fighting waste and streamlining the apparatus. Why must we fight waste? Because fighting waste is a fight against "internal invaders" with a position equivalent to fighting corruption. In fact, during his lifetime, President Ho Chi Minh repeatedly warned about the evil of waste: "Corruption is harmful, but waste is sometimes even more harmful. It is more harmful than embezzlement because waste is very common... Although waste does not take public money for oneself, the results are also very harmful to the People and the Government. Sometimes waste is more harmful than embezzlement”.
Fighting waste is more difficult than fighting corruption, because waste occurs in many different forms. Waste of time and effort of businesses and individuals when administrative procedures are cumbersome, online public services are not convenient and smooth. Waste of development opportunities of localities and the country because the state apparatus sometimes and sometimes does not operate effectively, a part of cadres are corrupt, lack capacity, avoid, push work, fear responsibility; due to low quality and productivity.
How should the streamlining of the apparatus be envisioned? Streamlining the apparatus has been mentioned many times over the past decades, but the results are still quite limited. Just the separation and merger of communes and districts in localities has also given rise to many troubles and entanglements. Up to now, Vietnam is the country with the most provincial units in the Asia region. Therefore, Vietnam has to spend up to 70% of its budget to pay salaries for staff and administrative activities.
There is a worrying fact that after many administrative reforms, the organizational apparatus of some levels and some sectors still maintains the same number of employees. Some places even "bloat" when establishing more affiliated units and "intermediate" job positions, causing many obstacles in the process of streamlining the payroll.
To streamline the apparatus to ensure "efficiency" and "effectiveness", the core still lies in the people. Streamlining the apparatus cannot be "effective" if there are still indifferent cadres. It is unacceptable to accept selfish cadres who only care about their own private pot of soup and rice, but are indifferent to the gains and losses of the surrounding environment. It is unacceptable to have a cadre who is indecisive, has no opinion, and agrees with what people say, who do not know how to be impatient because of the sluggishness in the field they are participating in, facing the constant movement towards civilization of the integrated world. Streamlining the apparatus will certainly start with cadres who dare to think and dare to do to contribute to the Fatherland and serve the nation.
2025 also opens up many future promises, when Resolution 57 of the Politburo on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation is issued. Together with the Central Steering Committee on science, technology, innovation and digital transformation, the National Advisory Council on science, technology, innovation and digital transformation development has also been established with the participation of domestic and foreign experts.
Resolution 57 specifies 7 tasks and solutions for implementation. In which, raising awareness, making breakthroughs in innovation of thinking, determining strong political determination, resolutely leading, directing, creating new momentum, new spirit in the whole society in developing science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation.
To integrate deeply in a digital world, there are many urgent and drastic tasks, such as eliminating all thoughts, concepts, and barriers that are hindering development; turning institutions into a competitive advantage in developing science, technology, innovation and digital transformation. Increasing investment, perfecting infrastructure for science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation…
In the spirit of Resolution 57, by 2045, science, technology, innovation and digital transformation will develop steadily, contributing to making Vietnam a developed country with high income. Vietnam will have a digital economy of at least 50% of GDP; be one of the digital technology industrial centers of the region and the world; be among the top 30 countries in the world in innovation and digital transformation; have at least 10 digital technology enterprises on par with advanced countries and attract at least 5 more leading technology organizations and enterprises in the world to set up headquarters and invest in research and production in Vietnam.
