Vietnam's laid-off communist officials face uncertain future
Feelings are mixed among newly unemployed apparatchiks – communist party officials whose jobs were once guaranteed.
HANOI - Sipping green tea in his garden of roses, ex-communist party official Nguyen Van Cuong says he is 'jobless but happy' after Vietnam cut 80,000 state roles this week.
But fretting at home after leaving public employment once considered a job-for-life, Ms Nguyen Thi Thu told AFP she feels 'empty' over a future that is no longer certain.
Vietnam is in the midst of a dramatic remaking of its state apparatus, with 100,000 positions slated to be scrapped as Hanoi seeks to streamline bureaucracy and boost the economy.
On June 30,
80,000 roles were slashed as most of the South-east Asian nation's provinces and cities were merged.
Feelings are mixed among newly unemployed apparatchiks – communist party officials whose jobs were once guaranteed.
'It's really a waste for the state to lose one like myself,' said 56-year-old Cuong, who served in Bac Giang province outside Hanoi. Bac Giang was merged into a neighbouring province's administration.
The government said those caught in the overhaul would either be made redundant or offered early retirement.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore First BTO project in Sembawang North to be offered in July launch
Singapore TTSH to demolish century-old pavilion wards, keeping one as heritage marker
Singapore Red Lions and naval divers join forces for Jump of Unity at NDP 2025
World 'Formed to give you back your freedom': Elon Musk says he has created a new US political party
Singapore His world crashed when he got F9 in O-level Tamil but PropNex co-founder Ismail Gafoor beat the odds
Asia HIV surge in the Philippines amid poor sex education, policy gaps
Tech Graduates are not screwed if they study engineering: James Dyson in response to Economist article
Business When a foreign wife failed to turn up for a $10m divorce
Mr Cuong told AFP he could have remained in his post – or even been promoted – but chose to accept a US$75,000 (S$95,600) payoff for his remaining six years after a 30-year state career.
'It's time to rid myself of so much complexity in state politics,' he said.
The mass reorganisation overseen by Vietnam's top leader To Lam echoes steps taken by US President Donald Trump and Argentine leader Javier Milei to take an axe to government spending towards 'efficiency'.
'Don't know what's next'
Former district-level secretary Thu admits she may not have been able to manage the burdens of the job as management prioritised performance.
The 50-year-old felt she had no option but to resign when her office was relocated to the Mekong delta province of An Giang, more than 70km from her home.
'I resigned, not because I wanted to quit my job,' Ms Thu said. 'It's better to resign rather than waiting for a dismissal order.'
Vietnam – a global manufacturing hub – recorded economic growth of 7.1 per cent last year and is aiming for eight per cent this year as it vies for 'middle-income country' status by 2030.
But the country is facing headwinds from key trade partner the United States.
Mr Trump threatened a 46 per cent tariff before
settling on a 20 percent rate in a deal announced on July 2 – a levy five times the rate before he took office the second time.
Vietnam's deputy finance minister said the new administrative structure would bring 'strong scale to connect strong business and economic infrastructure' and create 'greater socio-economic development'.
Mr Lam, the Communist Party general secretary, said on June 30 that 'the decision to reshape the nation is a historical landmark with strategic meaning' aiming 'to continue our path towards a socialist country... for people's happiness'.
But for Ms Thu, the way forward is now unclear.
'I don't know what to do next,' she said.
Scrolling carefree on his phone and chatting with friends online, Mr Cuong said he had few regrets over his voluntary redundancy.
He feels like Vietnam may be the one missing out on what he has to offer.
'I could still contribute more to the state sector,' he said. AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Sweden to map immigrants' values to boost integration
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The Scandinavian country has taken in large numbers of refugees since the 1990s. STOCKHOLM - Sweden plans to survey immigrants' values in a bid to improve their integration into the country's progressive and liberal society, Sweden's new integration minister said on July 6. Sweden's right-wing government came to power in 2022 backed by the far-right Sweden Democrats, vowing to crack down on immigration and improve the integration of immigrants, among other things. Integration Minister Simona Mohamsson, who was appointed in a cabinet reshuffle a week ago, said Sweden's secular, unpatriarchal society can pose challenges for immigrants from more traditional, conservative countries. 'We are an extreme country, in a good way. For people who join our society, it can be a little difficult to navigate,' she told Sweden's paper of reference Dagens Nyheter in an interview. Previous surveys conducted by the World Values Survey research group have shown that some newly-arrived immigrants to Sweden have diverging views from native Swedes on issues such as divorce, sex before marriage, abortion and homosexuality. After 10 years in Sweden, their values had evolved and were more in line with those of native Swedes, according to the World Values Survey. 'Ten years is far too long. That's a whole generation of girls who don't get to choose who they want to love or boys who can't come out of the closet,' Ms Mohamsson said. Some 3,000 people will be surveyed this autumn about their 'values', half of them of Swedish background and the other half 'non-Western', she explained. 'The result will guide integration efforts going forward.' She said the plan was 'not about changing opinions', but rather 'about upholding the values we have in Sweden.' Those who choose to come to Sweden have a responsibility to try to be a part of society, she insisted. 'It is not a human right to live in Sweden.' The Scandinavian country has taken in large numbers of refugees since the 1990s, many fleeing from countries like Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Syria and the former Yugoslavia. But following a large influx in 2015, successive Swedish governments from both the left- and right-wing have tightened asylum rules . In 2024, around 20 per cent of Sweden's inhabitants were born in another country, compared to around 11 per cent in 2000, according to Statistics Sweden. AFP
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
How trade tensions are really affecting the global economy
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Companies are not yet rushing to relocate production to the US, but investment and dealmaking have already slowed. Now, as countries clamour to strike fresh deals with Mr Trump before the July 9 deadline, deep unease still lingers through global boardrooms and supply chains. When Britain became the first country to reach a trade agreement with the US in May, after President Donald Trump's announcement of sweeping 'reciprocal' tariffs, it was hailed as a blueprint for other key US trading partners. But almost two months passed before a second country – Vietnam – was able to strike a deal. Meanwhile, details of the British accord are still unclear, unconfirmed or subject to potential revision.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Hezbollah chief says group will not surrender under threat from Israel
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem asserted that Israel needed to comply with a November ceasefire before any further discussions could be held. BEIRUT - Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said on July 6 that his group would not surrender or lay down its weapons in response to Israeli threats, despite pressure on the Lebanese militants to disarm. 'This threat will not make us accept surrender,' he said in a televised speech to thousands of his supporters in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold, during the Shiite Muslim religious commemoration of Ashura. Lebanese leaders who took office in the aftermath of a war between Israel and Hezbollah last year have repeatedly vowed a state monopoly on bearing arms while demanding Israel comply with a November ceasefire that ended the fighting . Qassem, who succeeded longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah after Israel killed him in September, said the group's fighters would not abandon their arms and asserted that Israel's 'aggression' must first stop. His speech came as US envoy Tom Barrack was expected in Beirut on July 7. Lebanese authorities are due to deliver a response to Mr Barrack's request for Iran-backed Hezbollah to be disarmed by the end of the year, according to a Lebanese official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Lebanese authorities say they have been dismantling Hezbollah's military infrastructure in the south, near the Israeli border. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore First BTO project in Sembawang North to be offered in July HDB launch Business High Court orders Instagram seller to pay Louis Vuitton $200,000 in damages over counterfeit goods Singapore MOH studying 18 proposals to integrate TCM into public healthcare Singapore TTSH to demolish century-old pavilion wards, keeping one as heritage marker Asia 'Don't be seen in India again': Indian nationals pushed into Bangladesh at gunpoint Asia Malaysian commando dies during military diving exercise off Kuantan coast Singapore Overlooked 'glass child', the sibling of a special-needs kid Singapore His world crashed when he got F9 in O-level Tamil but PropNex co-founder Ismail Gafoor beat the odds Israel has continued to strike Lebanon despite the November ceasefire, claiming to hit Hezbollah targets and accusing Beirut of not doing enough to disarm the group. According to the ceasefire agreement, Hezbollah is to pull its fighters back north of the Litani river, some 30km from the Israeli frontier. Israel was to withdraw its troops from all of Lebanon, but has kept them deployed in five points it deemed strategic . Qassem said Israel must abide by the ceasefire agreement, 'withdraw from the occupied territories, stop its aggression... release the prisoners' detained during last year's war, and that reconstruction in Lebanon must begin. Only then, according to the Hezbollah chief, 'will we be ready for the second stage, which is to discuss national security and defence strategy'. Supporters dressed in black for Ashura marched through Beirut's southern suburbs before his speech, waving Hezbollah banners as well as national Lebanese, Palestinian and Iranian flags. Some also carried posters of the slain leader Nasrallah. In his remarks, Qassem said that his movement 'will not accept normalisation... with the Israeli enemy', after Israel's top diplomat said his government was 'interested' in such a move. Lebanon, which is technically still at war with Israel, did not comment. Syria, which was also mentioned by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, said it was 'premature' to discuss normalisation. AFP
