Policy work for the Army and its rear (herein after policy work) represents a specific part of social policy under the leadership of the Party, directly contributing to ensuring and improving the material and spiritual life of the beneficiaries, creating a strong impetus to build the Army, the Army's rear, strengthening national defence and Fatherland protection. Therefore, in face of the task requirements in the new situation, the whole Army needs to step up the implementation of this important and humane work.

Deeply grasping the resolutions and directives of the Party, the State, the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence, directly the Directive No. 368-CT/QUTW, dated June 12, 2016 of the Central Military Commission's Standing Committee on strengthening leadership and direction in policy work in the 2016-2020 period, in recent years, Party committees, commanders, commissars and junior commissars at all levels in the whole Army have led, directed, and implemented synchronous solutions suitable to the practice and achieved practical results which have profound socio-political significance, creating a strong motivation to contribute to Army development, national defence and Fatherland protection.

Sr. Lt. Gen. Vo Minh Luong, Deputy Minister of National Defence works with the Department of Policy, General Political Department

Currently, the Resolution of the 13^th National Party Congress has set out guidelines for Military development as: Building a revolutionary, regular, elite, and increasingly modern people's Army with a number of corps and services being developed straight to modernity. By 2025, basically build an elite, compact and strong Army, creating a solid premise to strive to build a revolutionary, regular, elite and modern People's Army by 2030. Meanwhile, the country's economy still faces many difficulties due to natural disasters and pandemics. The adverse effect of the market economy coupled with the negative sides of social life have a significant impact on the thoughts, feelings and perceptions of military cadres, soldiers and people. The volume and tasks of policy work are large and complicated, especially in dealing with the backlogs after war. These pose higher requirements on the implementation of policy work in the new situation, requiring the Party committees, commanders, political commissars, junior commissars of agencies and units to thoroughly grasp and strictly implement Directive No. 169-CT/QUTW, dated December 29, 2020 of the Central Military Commission's Standing Committee on strengthening leadership and direction on the policy work in the period of 2021 – 2025. In particular, attention should be paid on the following contents:

Firstly, step up propaganda, education, raise awareness and responsibility for cadres, soldiers and people, first of all the Party committees and presiding officers at all levels regarding policy work. Party committees, commanders, commissars and junior commissars at all levels should focus on leading, directing, promoting propaganda and education on the Party's guidelines and undertakings, the State's policies and laws, resolutions and directives of the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defence; guiding documents of ministries, central branches and the General Political Department on this work. Emphasis should be placed on: Directive No. 14-CT/TW of the Secretariat (12^th tenure), Directive No. 169-CT/QUTW of the Standing Committee of the Central Military Commission; Plan No. 723/KH-CT, dated April 28, 2021 of the General Political Department on the implementation of Directive No. 169-CT/QUTW of the Central Military Commission’s Standing Committee, etc. Actively inform, propagate and educate cadres, soldiers and people about the purpose, meaning and results of policy work; about the advantages and disadvantages of the country, the Army, units and localities; about the traditions of "Remember the source when drink water" of the nation. Promote the role of organisations, forces, media, communication and cultural institutions at the units, etc. to propagate, orient public opinion, and disseminate the policies. Military press agencies should coordinate with central and local newspapers and radio and television in propagating and mobilising the people and political system to participate in the implementation, ensuring the full provision of policies to organisations, subjects and people, especially in remote, border and island areas, contributing to raising awareness, responsibility, creating social consensus in the implementation of the work.

Secondly, actively research and propose to the Party and State to amend, supplement, perfect, promulgate and implement the regimes and policies. Functional agencies of the Ministry of National Defence, in particular the Military Policy branch, should continue to promote well their role as the presiding agency, closely follow the requirements, tasks and practical situation, actively research, advise the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defence, and the General Political Department to propose to the Party and State to promulgate, amend, supplement, complete and well implement regimes and policies for the armed forces in active service, militia and self-defence forces, the reserve, ensuring synchronisation, unity and efficiency. Pay attention to perfecting the salary, allowance, social insurance and health insurance regimes, serving the policy of military restructuring; regimes for forces performing tasks in strategic areas, far-flung and remote areas, borders, seas and islands and performing international tasks;  regimes for forces responding to, preventing and combating epidemics, natural disasters and catastrophes; regimes for developing high-quality human resources and preserving, attracting and employing talents,  people with dedication, scientific staff, leading experts, and skilled workers; regimes serving the Scheme of restructuring, renovating and improving production and business efficiency of Military enterprises and public non-business units; regimes for militia and self-defence forces and the reserve forces, etc. Implement well the policy of reward, promotion, salary increase and nursing work. Improve the quality of healthcare, medical examination and treatment for active forces, the retired and the policy beneficiaries. Stick to the real situation, promptly research, propose and well implement regimes and policies for subjects and forces in charge of Covid-19 pandemic prevention and control according to Resolution No. 16/NQ-CP, dated February 8, 2021 and Resolution No. 58/NQ-CP, dated June 8, 2021 of the Government; guiding and directing documents of ministries, branches and the Ministry of National Defence.

Continue to promote the roles and responsibilities of all levels, branches, agencies, units and localities in taking care of and better implement the policy work; promptly support, visit and encourage families of military men, workers and defence employees to perform their duties in difficult and arduous, remote, border, sea, island areas, etc. Innovate and effectively implement policies on vocational training and job promotion for demobilised soldiers; pay attention to and take care of retired military cadres, especially those who have made a lot dedication during the revolutionary time; give priority to those operating in remote areas, areas with special difficulties, people with many contributions, people with low incomes, people with hardships, etc.

Sr. Lt. Gen. Do Can presents budget of the Ministry of National Defence for renovating Vi Xuyen National Martyr Cemetery

Thirdly, continue to well implement regimes and policies towards people with meritorious services, policy beneficiaries, and further promote the effectiveness of the "Gratitude repaying" movement. Agencies and units continue to lead and direct the strict implementation of Directive No. 14-CT/TW of the Secretariat and Ordinance No. 02/2020/UBTVQH14 on Incentives for people with meritorious services to the revolution. Basically complete the settlement of the backlog in certification and recognition of meritorious people under the responsibility of the Ministry of National Defence. Complete and effectively implement the Scheme on verification and settlement of policies for military personnel who lost information or were missing in war; have timely and thoughtful settlement of regimes and policies for those who get wounded or die while performing military and defence duties; in the prevention and control of epidemics, natural disasters, search and rescue, etc. Speed up the implementation of regimes and policies for Vietnamese people with meritorious services, those who participated in the resistance wars and wars to defend the Fatherland and perform international missions who are residing abroad under Decree No. 102 /2018/NĐ-CP, dated July 20^th, 2018 of the Government.

Thoroughly grasp and effectively implement Directive No. 24-CT/TW, dated May 15, 2013 of the Politburo (11^th tenure) on continuing to promote the search and gathering of martyrs' remains. Focus on perfecting the document system on searching, collecting and identifying martyrs' remains with missing information; complete the national database on martyrs, martyrs' graves, martyrs' relatives and martyrs' cemeteries; map, search, gather the remains of martyrs; identify martyrs' graves without information by empirical method. Stepping up propaganda, provide information, promote international cooperation in the search and gathering of martyrs' remains, especially in domestic areas; basically complete the task of searching and gathering martyrs' remains in Laos and Cambodia.

Promote synergy, mobilise and effectively use social resources in the implementation of the "Gratitude repaying" movement; take good care of People with meritorious services, take care of the heroic Vietnamese mothers, support Centres for nurturing people with meritorious services, etc. Coordinate with central departments, ministries and branches to advise and propose to the Party and State to increase social allowances, preferential allowances for people with meritorious services. Proactively propose plans and coordinate to organise policy work in an effective and practical manner on the occasion of major holidays of the country and the Army.

Finally, strengthen coordination in the implementation of the regimes and policies; develop the agency and staff of the Military Policy branch to meet the requirements of tasks. Agencies and units should uphold their proactive role, sense of responsibility, regularly coordinate closely, create unity in leadership and direction; strongly renovate the decentralisation and implement the policy work, ensuring efficiency and practicality; actively coordinate in exploiting and mobilising all resources from the society to promote the synergy of the whole political system to take care of and well implement policies towards the Army and its rear.

Local military agencies at all levels need to promote their roles and responsibilities, actively research and thoroughly grasp documents, regulations and guidelines to advise local Party committees and authorities to lead, direct and perform the state management of the implementation of the regimes and policies; propose guidelines and solutions and concretise them into targets and tasks that are relevant and suitable to the local situation for implementation; closely coordinate with local departments, agencies and mass organisations (especially the Department of Labor – War Invalids and Social Affairs), agencies and units operating in the area to grasp the number of policy beneficiaries and the situation of policy implementation in localities; formulate plans, determine contents and measures to conduct policy work in accordance with local requirements, tasks and practices.

Regularly consolidate and perfect policy agencies at all levels; build a contingent of cadres and employees of the Military Policy branch with quality, capacity and specialised qualifications to meet the requirements and tasks. Promote administrative reform, standardise working procedure, improve the efficiency of science and technology application in direction, management, administration and implementation of the policies. At the same time, regularly inspect and review, promptly grasp and solve the arising problems; strictly handle wrongdoings in the implementation of the work.

Policy work for the Army and its rear holds an important position and role with profound political, social and human significance. Therefore, in implementation of this work, it is required that party committees, commanders, commissars and junior commissars at all levels in the Army uphold political responsibility, closely coordinate with agencies, departments and branches of the political system, ceaselessly take care and ensure better life for the beneficiaries, contributing to creating an important driving force in the cause of construction and protection of the Vietnam Socialist Fatherland.

Senior Lieutenant General DO CAN, Vice Chairman of the General Political Department of the Vietnam People's Army