No Discussion on Constructing a New Headquarters for the Next Three Years, Says Hanoi’s Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee.

On June 27, the Hanoi Party Committee’s Executive Board held an online conference to summarize the one-week pilot operation of the two-level local government model.

Speaking at the conference, Mr. Nguyen Van Phong, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, acknowledged and highly appreciated the efforts of the departments, 30 districts, towns, and municipalities, as well as the officials and civil servants of the 126 new communes and wards. The working groups of the Executive Board and the city’s People’s Committee have made great efforts with a high sense of responsibility, overcoming difficulties to organize the pilot operation of the two-level local government model, achieving positive results and gaining necessary experience to be ready for official operation from July 1st onwards.

Mr. Phong commented that many communes and wards have taken the initiative and been creative, not only following the plans and scenarios but also basing their actions on the local reality to operate the new apparatus.

Regarding the tasks for the coming time, Mr. Phong proposed that the secretaries of the Party Committees, the Executive Boards, and the Party Committees of the 126 communes and wards instruct their officials and civil servants to engage with the highest sense of responsibility and share and support their colleagues. The ultimate goal is to ensure a smooth operation of the apparatus and the best service for the people and businesses.

According to Mr. Phong, by now, the 126 communes and wards of the city have a clear understanding of the organization, personnel, infrastructure, and office locations. The top priority of the commune and ward-level Party Committees and authorities is to focus on task allocation, ensuring clear responsibilities for each individual.

The Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee noted that no matter how well prepared, it is impossible to anticipate all scenarios in practice. Therefore, the Party Committees and authorities, especially the leaders of the communes and wards, must base their actions on the actual situation to resolve issues, regardless of whether there are regulations or assigned tasks. The core spirit is to prioritize serving the people and businesses effectively; there should be no case of people or enterprises visiting the communes or wards without knowing who to turn to or not getting their issues resolved, being passed from one person to another.

“I propose that the leaders of the wards and communes specifically assign responsibilities for handling such arising situations,” Mr. Phong requested.

The Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee also emphasized that there should be no cases where the lack of infrastructure, conditions, or working tools affects the quality of service to the people. When such cases are detected or when there are proposals from the communes or wards, the Department of Science and Technology, the Center for Public Administration Services, and the Department of Finance must coordinate to resolve them immediately.

“In the coming time, when investing in infrastructure for localities, the top priority is to invest in technology to serve the work and the people, as well as in health and education… I propose that, for at least the next three years, we do not discuss building new office buildings,” Mr. Phong stressed.