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On April 21, 2026, during a discussion on economic and social issues in the National Assembly, Deputy Thach Phuoc Binh (Vinhlong province) said that reforming wage policy—specifically adjusting the base salary—is not only a technical matter but also a direct factor influencing civil servants’ living standards, work motivation, and service quality.
The deputy noted that the state has taken positive steps in recent years by raising the base salary from 1.49 million to 1.8 million, then to 2.34 million VND per month, and that it is expected to reach 2.53 million VND from July 1, 2026. He said the key issue is not whether to increase the base salary, but how much is needed to protect living standards while remaining consistent with the budget and supporting development in the public sector.
Deputy Thach Phuoc Binh estimated that 2.53 million VND per month from July 1, 2026 is a technically reasonable increase, but “not strong enough” to ensure living standards for most public-sector workers.
The deputy argued that the 2.53 million VND increase would not be sufficient for public-sector workers to live on salary alone—particularly new entrants, those without supplementary income, and those working in large urban areas.
He cited an example: a new civil servant with a coefficient of 1.86 earns about 4.7 million VND per month before social insurance, while urban living costs typically range from 6–7 million VND per month. He said this highlights a significant gap between income and basic living needs.
Deputy Thach Phuoc Binh concluded that the 2.53 million VND adjustment would mainly provide stabilization rather than assurance of living standards. He called for raising the base salary to 2.65–2.7 million VND per month, arguing that this would have a more meaningful impact on low-income groups and help narrow the gap with the enterprise-sector minimum wage, thereby reducing pressure on essential spending.
The deputy emphasized that with rising prices of essential items such as housing, healthcare, and utilities, it is important to implement a sufficiently large increase. From a budget perspective, he said the 2.65–2.7 million VND range would not place excessive strain on the state budget if accompanied by civil-service streamlining and public expenditure restructuring, along with improved efficiency.
Previously, the Ministry of the Interior submitted to the Government a draft decree to raise the base salary to 2.53 million VND per month from July 1, 2026. The draft also states that other salaries in the civil-service pay scale are low, leaving living standards for civil servants and the armed forces still difficult.
Deputy Thach Phuoc Binh said adjusting the base salary is necessary to motivate public workers and improve governance, while ensuring that public administration reforms can proceed without compromising fiscal balance.
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