Minimum monthly salaries will increase next year for State employees,but the amount will still be lower than for workers at privateenterprises.

The minimum monthly salary for cadres, civil servants and Stateemployees will increase by 26.5 percent to 1.05 million VND (50 USD) permonth from the beginning of May next year.

Doan Cuong,head of the Ministry of Home Affairs' Wages and Salary Department, saidthe increased minimum salary for cadres, civil servants and Stateemployees would be only half of the minimum monthly salary for workersin urban areas, which stands at 2 million VND (95 USD) per month.

The minimum salary will be only 75 percent of the minimum salary forworkers in underdeveloped and remote areas, which is 1.4 million VND (67USD) per month.

Speaking at a conference on salary reformheld in HCM City on Dec. 20, Cuong said that the minimum salariesfor cadres, civil servants and public employees should be adjusted tocorrespond with salaries paid by enterprises in the context of themarket economy and global integration.

Salaries of cadres,civil servants and State employees must be sufficient to meet basicneeds and support of dependents, he added.

If the salariesof cadres, civil servants and public employees were too low comparedwith other workers in the market economy, it would be difficult forState agencies and organisations to have a stable workforce, he said.

Three schemes for minimum salaries for cadres and civil servants havebeen suggested for the 2013-20 period, with three different minimum wagelevels, 3.15 million VND (150 USD) per month, 2 million VND (95 USD)and 1.68 million VND (80 USD) per month.

Under theproposal, the minimum wage for public employees would be equal to theminimum salary for workers at private companies or equal to those forcadres and civil servants./.