Ho Chi Minh City proposes monthly income over US$10,000 to attract top talent
VOV.VN - Ho Chi Minh City has proposed an incentive package offering monthly income of up to VND 265.5 million (US$10,200) for contracted experts, alongside initial allowances, housing support, healthcare benefits, and performance-based bonuses tied to research outputs.
At the sixth session of the 10th Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council on October 29, the municipal People’s Committee submitted two draft resolutions on attracting and retaining high-quality human resources, as well as training artistic and athletic talents, leveraging specific urban development mechanisms.
Under the proposal on high-quality human resources, eligible candidates include experts, scientists, chief engineers, chief architects, talented young engineers, and public employees with exceptional achievements.
The proposed policy outlines three tracks: contract-based experts, public service examination recruitment, and the formal recognition and retention of existing personnel.
For contracted experts, the city proposes a one-off initial allowance equivalent to 80 to 100 times the Region I minimum wage, ranging from VND 424.8 million to VND 531 million (US$16,300-US$20,400). Monthly compensation is set at 20 to 50 times the Region I minimum wage, equivalent to VND106.2 million to VND265.5 million (US$4,080-US$10,200).
Additional benefits include official housing or monthly rent subsidies capped at VND 21.24 million (US$815), plus medical coverage for talents and their relatives. Performance-based cash bonuses for accepted research projects could reach up to VND1.593 billion (US$61,200) for individuals and VND 3.186 billion (US$122,300) for research teams.
For tenured personnel or active officials with outstanding achievements, supplementary monthly income support ranges from VND10.62 million to VND26.55 million (US$408-US$1,020) for up to 10 years.
Concurrently, the city also proposed mechanisms for training and utilizing artistic and athletic talents. In high-performance sports, focus will center on Olympic and key sports, including swimming, athletics, gymnastics, rowing, and weightlifting.
Overseas training subsidies for elite athletes are proposed at up to VND1.56 billion (US$59,900) per person annually for a maximum five-year cycle. Domestic training support is capped at VND 1.2 billion (US$46,000) per person per program, while hiring foreign experts to coach locally carries a maximum budget of VND 1.5 billion (US$57,600). Total funding for 34 gifted sports slots is estimated at VND 19.2 billion (US$737,300) annually.
The policy focuses on outcome-based performance, linking pay directly to actual results while avoiding spread-out subsidies.
Talent is a special strategic resource of the nation: Top leader To Lam
VOV.VN - Party General Secretary and State President To Lam worked with the Government's Party Committee and relevant agencies in Hanoi on the morning of August 24 on a national strategy to attract, empower, and develop talent in key sectors for rapid and sustainable development.
