National Assembly considers and decides before September 30, 2024
In an exchange with the press on the arrangement of district and commune administrative units, Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra said that this is one of the key tasks of the Ministry of Home Affairs as well as of localities in 2024. As of December 31, 2023, all 56/56 localities with district and commune administrative units under the arrangement phase 2023-2025 have submitted the overall plan to the Ministry of Home Affairs to preside over.
Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra
Based on the synthesis of opinions from ministries, relevant agencies, the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued 56 documents to contribute comments on the overall plan of localities. Synthesizing from the overall plan of 56 provinces and cities, it shows that the number of district and commune administrative units implementing the 2023-2025 arrangement phase has some changes compared to the initial estimates.
According to the plan, in the period 2023-2025, the whole country will have 33 district administrative units and 1,327 commune administrative units that are required to be arranged. However, after synthesizing the overall plan, the total number of district administrative units implementing the arrangement is 50. Including 11 units in need of arrangement, 16 encouraged units, and 23 adjacent units; 19 units will not be arranged due to specific factors. It is expected that after the arrangement and merging, the country will reduce 14 district administrative units.
The total number of commune administrative units to be arranged is 1,243 units. Including 738 units in need of arrangement, 109 encouraged units, and 396 adjacent units; 515 units will not be arranged due to specific factors. It is expected that after the arrangement and merging, the country will reduce 619 commune administrative units.
From these numbers, it can be seen that the number of district and commune administrative units encouraged to arrange, proposed by localities, is quite large. There are 16 district administrative units and 109 commune administrative units that are not required to be arranged but have been proposed by localities for rearrangement.
In addition, although the number of district and commune administrative units is required to be arranged, through revision and evaluation of many specific factors such as culture, history, etc., localities have proposed not to arrange them.
In general, the number of district and commune administrative units to be arranged and merged in 2024 has not changed much compared to the initial estimate. Based on the overall plan (after being completed), localities are focusing on building projects, organizing public opinions, submitting them to the Government for approval and then submitting them to the Standing Committee of the National Assembly for consideration and decision before September 30, 2024.
No proposal for provincial merger
Recently, there has been information on social media about the preparation of rearrangement, mergers of some provinces. Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra said that this is a matter that many provinces and cities are concerned about and are asking the Ministry of Home Affairs. “However, we affirm that the Ministry of Home Affairs has not calculated or proposed any rearrangement, merger of any province, city”- The Minister affirmed.
“Recently, many information posted on social media say that this province will merge with that province, I affirm that this is inaccurate information, without basis, causing some provinces to be worried, affecting social sentiment”- The Minister emphasized.
According to Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra, there are some provinces such as Bac Ninh, Thua Thien – Hue that are making great efforts to strive for conditions to become centrally-run cities by the stage 2026-2030. This is the Party’s policy according to the spirit of Resolution 06-NQ/TW of the Politburo on the planning, construction, management, and sustainable development of urban areas in Vietnam by 2030, with a vision to 2045, which the Government is interested in directing the implementation. Therefore, if any province, city follows the plan, meets the conditions and standards to become a centrally-run city, the authorized levels will consider and decide.
