On August 22, during discussions on the draft Law on State Budget, Nguyen Khanh Vu, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Council of Quang Tri, called for prioritizing budget allocations for public sector salary reforms. He pointed out that the current draft does not clearly specify budget provisions for salary policies.

The Central Resolution 27 outlines the goal of reforming salaries to ensure that civil servants and public employees can live on their wages. However, the list of priority areas for budget allocation does not clearly establish the position of salary policies. When allocating increased budget revenues, funding for salary reforms is placed after tasks such as reducing budget deficits and supplementing financial reserves. Vu criticized this arrangement for failing to adequately secure resources for salaries.

Currently, the basic salary in the public sector is 2.53 million VND per month, while the regional minimum wage for private sector workers ranges from 3.7 to 5.31 million VND per month. This income level puts significant pressure on wage earners, especially in major cities where housing and living costs are high. Therefore, he suggested that the Law on State Budget should include principles for prioritizing and allocating resources for public sector salary policies.

Moreover, this funding should be given higher priority when distributing annual increases in budget revenues. For the private sector, the drafting agency needs to consider amending salary policies in the Labor Code to better align workers' incomes with living needs and sustainable development goals.

In July, the Ministry of Home Affairs assessed that public sector salaries do not fully meet living needs, particularly for younger workers. Low incomes create challenges for many in the public sector regarding housing, education, and childcare. The provision of housing, means, and living conditions for civil servants relocating to new administrative centers has also been inadequate.

The Ministry of Home Affairs is currently researching and proposing a new resolution to replace Resolution 27 from 2018 on salary policy reform and Resolution 28 on social insurance policy reform. The new salary policy is expected to be presented at the 5th Central Conference in 2027. The Ministry has coordinated with the Central Policy and Strategy Committee to review the implementation of Resolution 27 and report to the Politburo and the Secretariat for consideration and feedback.

This agency will also develop plans for salary reforms in line with the restructuring of the government apparatus, local government operations, and staff streamlining.