Vietnam Mandates Office Dress Code And Energy Savings

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra has issued official directive 423 to all ministries and agencies to implement administrative decentralization. The reform aims to reduce bureaucratic barriers, streamline procedures, and enhance national competitiveness by shifting power from central authorities to local levels. This move follows recent central government conclusions regarding the need for substantive administrative restructuring. The reforms included the dissolution of 63 provinces and several ministries to reduce bureaucracy. The restructuring involved merging provinces and eliminating various government offices. Local authorities in Vietnam have issued new regulations requiring civil servants to wear thin collared shirts instead of traditional attire. The government is also conducting a comprehensive review of energy usage to implement long-term electricity savings plans. These plans include promoting green technology such as solar power, energy-efficient lighting, and smart building management systems. The move comes as neighboring Malaysia encourages similar energy-saving measures like setting air conditioning to 24 degrees Celsius.