2026 – opening year of new era of Vietnamese nation's rise

Last year was considered the important year for Viet Nam to figure out new development thoughts, institutions and major development orienations to lay foundations for the new development era.

Viet Nam completed the massive restructuring of the political system to improve the efficiency of the political system while saving budget for development investment.

After restructuring, the Government apparatus comprises 14 ministries and three ministerial-level agencies (a reduction of five ministries and ministerial-level bodies, and three Government-attached agencies).

All 13 general departments and equivalent entities were abolished; 519 department-level units were cut (down 77.6 percent); 219 bureau-level units were reduced (down 54.1 percent); 3,303 sub-department units were removed (down 91.7 percent); and 203 public service units were dissolved (down 38 percent).

The two-tier local governance model now includes 34 provinces and cities (a reduction of 29 provincial-level units) and 3,321 communes, wards, and special administrative zones (6,714 fewer commune-level units, a reduction of nearly 66.9 percent).

The civil service headcount in the state administrative sector was reduced by 145,000 positions, while annual recurrent expenditure was cut by approximately VND 39 trillion (US$1.53 billion).

Local governments under the new model progressively stabilised operations, shifting from administrative management to proactive public service delivery and development enablement.

Notably, for the first time, all provincial Party Secretaries and Chairs of the People's Committees are appointed from outside their home localities, marking a historic step in strengthening governance neutrality and development-driven leadership.

The Politburo, the highest policy-making body, issued seven breakthrough resolutions figuring out key pillars serving as a solid foundation for the country to confidently enter the new era of the nation's rise.

These pillars emcompass science, technology, innovation and digital transformation; international integration; law-making and enforcement reforms; private sector development; national energy security; education and training development; and public healthcare.

The draft Political Report to be submitted to the 14th National Party Congress emphasises the goal of "Strategic Autonomy," reflecting a forward-looking vision in which Viet Nam proactively shapes, leads, and enables national development in a volatile and unpredictable world.

For the first time, the Political Report, the Socio-Economic Development Report, and the Party-Building Review Report were merged into a single document.

The 14^th National Party Congress, scheduled to take place in Ha Noi from January 19-25, will refine and adopt the document for the next five years.

All the above preparations target to help Viet Nam successfully enter the new era of rapid and sustainable development, with GDP growth projected to reach at least 10 percent from 2026.

The hard-won achievements in 2025 and after nearly 40 years of innovation have created foundations and a source of inspiration for Viet Nam to organize the implementation of the 14^th National Party Congress' document in a confident, smart and effective manner./.