Chapter 578

Nanyuan City, following its ten-trillion GDP, once again went viral online; this time the reason was the largest-scale public institution institutional reform in the history of prefecture-level cities nationwide, directly streamlining 424 public institutions, cutting leadership by 25%, and reclaiming 8,755 staffing positions. Through eliminating redundancies, rational allocation, efficient coordination, and bold reform, Nanyuan City removed the 'excess fat' from public institutions to the greatest extent, enabling them to efficiently perform their public-service function in serving enterprises and the people.

People once again marveled at Nanyuan City's big move, praising Nanyuan and Lu Fan effusively, and sparked heated discussion on institutional streamlining, with many urging their own cities to learn from Nanyuan; even if they cannot innovate, 'copying the homework' will do, right?

Other cities in Huayuan Province fell into silence; the intensity of Nanyuan's reform gave them great pressure, many municipal party secretaries worried anxiously, privately grumbling that they could never achieve such a level as Nanyuan.

But the head of the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Department personally gave them a demonstration; public institution reform was again inevitable, so everyone began researching in advance, looking for ways to get through this reform by cutting corners, because that's how it had always been done—years of change amounted to nothing but changing the soup, not the medicine.

If the reform were carried out in earnest, it would inevitably harm the interests of too many people; many people's 'hats' are self-bestowed, filled with vested interests, and if mishandled it would hurt both others and oneself—this is the biggest 'roadblock' to reform!

On March 12, Lu Fan returned to the province and immediately reported to Secretary Tang Bing the results of Nanyuan City's public institution institutional reform.

After hearing the report, Tang Bing fully affirmed Lu Fan's work achievements in Nanyuan, smiling and saying: "To be frank, I didn't expect you to have such a big move and determination, with the blade turned inward and self-revolution, basically achieving separation of politics and administration; it can only be attributed to putting things in order, providing a model for other cities' institutional reform to learn from."

Lu Fan replied: "Secretary, the institutional reform in other cities is still not optimistic; as far as I know, some municipal party secretaries are very resistant to institutional reform, and next steps we need to increase work efforts."

Tang Bing smiled slightly and said: "That's indeed the case; some municipal party secretaries have already come to me, saying there are many difficulties and strong resistance to change. However, with Nanyuan setting the precedent, even if they are indulged and unwilling to reform, they cannot resist the prevailing trend. Public institution institutional reform is the top priority for Huayuan Province at present; all levels of leadership are watching, we must produce results, establish rules and systems, and strive to form the 'Huayuan experience'. I grant you authority: as long as it serves the needs of institutional reform, there will be no hesitation to act! When necessary, we can take action against some people, moving the 'roadblock' of public institution institutional reform out of the way!"

This is exactly the issue Lu Fan wanted to discuss today; he immediately replied: "Secretary, regarding the institutional reform at the municipal and county levels, next I plan to focus on Xiangyang City and Bianliang City, preparing to go there myself to supervise on-site. I have a rough idea: could we let the municipal party secretaries of these two cities swap positions? That would break the existing vested interests, allowing them to let go and carry out institutional reform."

Tang Bing thought for a moment and said: "You want to clear away the roadblocks and corruption obstacles for deepening reform, right? That's indeed the case; changing the political ecosystem is harder than the institutional reform itself, and the top leaders often are the biggest 'roadblock' to reform!"

I agree with your opinion; for the difficulties and bottlenecks encountered in comprehensive reform, anti-corruption work should address those difficulties and bottlenecks to clear away the roadblocks and corruption obstacles for comprehensive deepening reform! First draft a plan, and I will convene the standing committee meeting as soon as possible; steps can be bolder, and the organization department head can also be adjusted appropriately.

Lu Fan replied: "Mine, Secretary, I will promptly produce a personnel adjustment plan. Also, regarding the leadership team adjustment of Nanyuan City, I intend to relinquish the post of municipal party secretary."

Tang Bing nodded and said: "I said before that the adjustment of Nanyuan's leadership team would follow your opinion, letting pragmatic workers reap benefits, those who endure hardship be rewarded, and those who contribute be given positions! The cadres of Nanyuan are leading the province in all aspects, and you have made an indispensable contribution!"

"Thank you for your support and recognition, Secretary. I believe that under the new leadership team, Nanyuan's work will not slip, continuing to serve as the vanguard of provincial economic development and making due contributions."

Back in the office, Lu Fan summoned Deputy Minister Zou Weipeng to the office, instructing him to draft a cadre adjustment plan and submit it to the department–party committee meeting for study as soon as possible.

Following Lu Fan's instructions, Zou Weipeng immediately acted, forming a preliminary adjustment plan.

Regarding the adjustment of municipal-level leadership teams:

Nanyuan City Mayor Su Xiang Hai is proposed to be adjusted to Nanyuan City Party Secretary;

Nanyuan City Deputy Party Secretary Wang Hong is proposed to be nominated as a candidate for Nanyuan City Mayor;

Nanyuan City Party Committee United Front Work Department Head Gao Bao is proposed to be promoted to Nanyuan City CPPCC Chairman;

Nanyuan City Executive Vice Mayor Zhao Haorui is proposed to be adjusted to Deputy Party Secretary;

Standing Committee member of the Party Committee and Wulong District Party Secretary Li Yuan is proposed to be adjusted to Nanyuan City Executive Vice Mayor;

Nanyuan City Party Committee Secretary Dou Zhengyang is proposed to be adjusted to Wulong District Party Secretary;

Nanyuan City Party Committee Propaganda Department Head Li Mu Ci is proposed to be adjusted to Standing Committee Vice Mayor;

Dengzhou City Party Secretary Liu Xianhao is proposed to be promoted to Nanyuan City Party Committee Standing Committee member and Propaganda Department Head;

Wancheng District Party Secretary Wu Dingzhe is proposed to be promoted to Nanyuan City Party Committee Standing Committee member and United Front Work Department Head;

Tang County Party Secretary Zha Jianyu is proposed to be promoted to Party Committee Standing Committee member and Party Committee Secretary;

Xinyue County Party Secretary Xie Siming is proposed to be nominated as a candidate for Nanyuan City Vice Mayor;

Fangcheng County Party Secretary Lu Jing is proposed to be nominated as a candidate for Nanyuan City Vice Mayor;

Regarding the adjustment of county-level provincial-managed cadres:

County Party Committee Secretary Shen Youqing of Nan County is proposed to be adjusted to District Party Committee Secretary of Wancheng; Zhenping County Party Committee Secretary Cheng Qing is proposed to be adjusted to Municipal Party Committee Secretary of Dengzhou; Xichuan County Party Committee Secretary Ren Zhao is proposed to be adjusted to County Party Committee Secretary of Xinye; Neidu County Party Committee Secretary Sun Wenyun is proposed to be adjusted to County Party Committee Secretary of Tang County; Tong County Party Committee Secretary Yang Yanwei is proposed to be adjusted to County Party Committee Secretary of Fangcheng; (from small to large, from weak to strong)

Municipal Finance Bureau Director Han Shiming is proposed to be adjusted to County Party Committee Secretary of Nan County; Municipal Development and Reform Commission Director Yang Bo is proposed to be adjusted to County Party Committee Secretary of Zhenping; Municipal Transportation Bureau Director Hu Wen is proposed to be adjusted to County Party Committee Secretary of Neidu; Municipal Administrative Approval Bureau Director Zhang Qianqian is proposed to be adjusted to County Party Committee Secretary of Tong; Municipal Agriculture Bureau Director Yan Chengci is proposed to be adjusted to County Party Committee Secretary of Xichuan; (senior bureau directors adjusted to county party committee secretaries)

Tong County Chief Wang Fan is proposed to be adjusted to Municipal Finance Bureau Director; She County Chief Feng Yongchang is proposed to be adjusted to Municipal Development and Reform Commission Director; Xichuan County Chief Tian Hao is proposed to be adjusted to Municipal Transportation Bureau Director; Municipal Urban Management Bureau Director Wang Pan is proposed to be nominated as the candidate for She County Chief; Municipal Health and Wellness Committee Director Lu Kun is proposed to be nominated as the candidate for Xichuan County Chief; Municipal Statistics Bureau Director Ye Liangyuan is proposed to be nominated as the candidate for Tong County Chief. (Weak county chiefs adjusted to senior bureau directors, bureau directors demoted to county chiefs)

The vacant positions of the Municipal Urban Management Bureau, Municipal Administrative Approval Bureau, Municipal Agriculture Bureau, Municipal Statistics Bureau, and Municipal Health and Wellness Committee are all municipal management cadres, to be decided by the Nanyuan City Party Committee Standing Committee.

This may be the highest‑level and most extensive leadership cadre adjustment in Nanyuan's history, all belonging to Lu Fan's "direct‑line troops", completely establishing the pattern of the "Lu Family Squad", which no one can shake! In the future, Nanyuan's cadres will gradually go out and blossom throughout the province.

On March 15, Secretary Tang Bing convened a five‑person group meeting and approved the Organization Department's cadre adjustment plan. Regarding adjustments within Nanyuan, even Deputy Secretary Li Mingyang had no comment; everyone knew that anyone who interfered in Nanyuan's personnel adjustments was openly clashing with the Organization Department Head.

On March 18, Han Yu, Director of the Second Division of Cadres of the Provincial Party Committee Organization Department, led a team to Nanyuan City for an organizational inspection.

On March 25, the Provincial Party Committee convened a Standing Committee meeting, heard the reform leading group's report on the province‑wide public institution structural reform, deployed the next phase of reform work, and studied personnel matters.

At the meeting, Provincial Organization Department Head Lu Fan reported on Nanyuan City's public institution reform pilot work, saying: "Nanyuan City focuses on prominent issues such as duplicated institutions, overlapping responsibilities, unscientific staffing allocations, overstaffing, low efficiency, and excessive fiscal input, deepening the reform of public institution structures."

During the reform, based on a comprehensive review of 555 administrative matters of the units involved, all administrative functions that must return to the agencies will be fully restored, leaving no trace, so that administrative functions are undertaken by administrative agencies.

Institutional integration, strict control of total staffing, efficient and smooth operation, with ample emphasis on "reduction". Functional transfers, institutional integration, personnel placement, and work handover are progressing smoothly.

In the reform of public institutions, unit integration is easy, but personnel placement has always been the difficulty. Determining these staff members is quite challenging; Nanyuan achieved open and fair transitional placement, fully transparent. Following the principles of openness, fairness, and justice, the staff collectively discussed and repeatedly verified the transitional placement plan, held a meeting of all staff for on‑site assessment, on‑site scoring, and on‑site announcement of results, eliminating any behind‑the‑scenes manipulation. Ultimately, candidates were selected through a points‑based job allocation method…

Next, the structural reform of public institutions in all cities and counties across the province will be fully launched, with the goal of streamlining more than 2,700 public institutions and withdrawing over 80,000 public institution staff positions…

Secretary Tang Bing fully affirmed Nanyuan City's reform achievements and noted that this year is the inaugural year for advancing public institution reform; making a good start, taking solid steps, and progressing steadily are crucial. All levels and departments must further unify thinking, raise awareness, adopt practical and effective measures, and clean up existing public institutions through "abolition, integration, and conversion to enterprises", accelerating reform and striving to resolve problems completely without leaving residues. Discipline regarding institutional staffing, organizational personnel, finance, and news publicity must be strictly enforced, and violations and disciplinary breaches occurring during the reform must be rigorously investigated.

While studying personnel work, hearing Lu Fan recite the names of Nanyuan cadres one by one, the standing committee members showed no outward reaction, but inside they felt ripples, an indescribable feeling, sighing that this Organization Department Head is indeed extraordinary!

Regarding the swap of Municipal Party Committee Secretaries Bianqiao and Xiangyang, the standing committee members naturally understood that it serves the institutional reform, and perhaps an interesting drama awaits!