Vietnam PM proposes younger cabinet to push economic reform
HANOI - Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on Tuesday proposed a reshuffle to promote two younger ministers with strong economic credentials in a move seen as bolstering his drive for economic reform.
Dung also wants to name around 10 new ministers and streamline the communist administration by merging 26 ministries and equivalent agencies into 22, the government said on its website.
Dung, a 57-year-old southerner, asked the national assembly to ratify his proposals by Thursday, including promoting Education Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan, 54, and Industry Minister Hoang Trung Hai, 47, to deputy premier-level.
The prime minister said he wants the two men -- both relatively young English speakers with strong economic backgrounds -- to provide continuity by serving two five-year terms, the online VNExpress reported.
They would join three incumbent deputy prime ministers -- Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem, Truong Vinh Trong and Nguyen Sinh Hung -- who are all over 60 years old.
The key ministers of public security and defence, Le Hong Anh and Phung Quang Thanh respectively, would also retain their posts.
Dung, however, asked the legislature to approve other changes, including appointing or shifting new ministers to run the labour, justice, health and environment portfolios, and changing the governor of the State Bank.
Foreign observers said promoting the two ministers with economic backgrounds -- Nhan spent some time at Harvard -- to become deputy premiers reflected changing priorities in economically booming Vietnam, a country that this year joined the World Trade Organisation.
"These two deputy prime ministers, with economic backgrounds, will have an impact on maintaining the path of socio-economic development," said one foreign diplomat who asked not to be named.
Vietnam's economy expanded nearly 8.2 percent last year, second in East Asia only to China. The government has pledged that economic growth in Vietnam will continue strongly for the 2010-2015 period.
Even if nominated deputy prime minister, Nhan should also stay on as education minister, whereas Hai would hand over his job as industry minister to Vu Huy Hoang, currently party secretary of northern Lang Son province bordering China.
The 493 members of the national assembly on Tuesday also approved Dung's proposal to reduce the size of his government, from 26 to 22 ministries and ministry-level agencies.
Agence France Presse - July 31, 2007.
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