“Vietnam’s Top Leader Attends the Proclamation of Ho Chi Minh City’s ‘Super Metropolitan’ Status”

General Secretary To Lam attends the ceremony at the Ho Chi Minh City branch.

Also present were comrades: Former Politburo member and former President Nguyen Minh Triet; Politburo member and Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Van Nen; former Politburo member and former Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Thien Nhan.

The ceremony was also attended by Central Party members, former Central Party members; leaders and former leaders of Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong province, Ba Ria – Vung Tau province; Party secretaries of directly subordinate cities and Party secretaries of communal-ward-township-level Party cells…

Previously, the Central Party agreed on the number of administrative units at the provincial level after the merger, which is 34 provinces and cities (including 28 provinces and 6 centrally-run cities); and agreed to merge administrative units at the communal level to ensure a nationwide reduction of about 60-70% in the number of communal-level administrative units compared to the present.

Implementing this policy, the 9th session of the 15th National Assembly passed a resolution amending and supplementing several articles of the 2013 Constitution and a resolution on the rearrangement of administrative units at the provincial level. Accordingly, from July 1st, 2025, there will be 34 provinces and cities nationwide, and a two-level local government model will be implemented, including the provincial and communal levels.

At the ceremony, comrade Nguyen Quang Duong, member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Head of the Organization Commission of the Party Central Committee, announced the resolutions and decisions of the Central Party on the merger of administrative units, the establishment of Party organizations, and the appointment of key personnel for the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, People’s Council, People’s Committee, and Fatherland Front Committee.

Regarding the National Assembly’s resolution on the establishment of Ho Chi Minh City, the new Ho Chi Minh City is formed by merging the entire natural area and population of Ho Chi Minh City, Ba Ria – Vung Tau, and Binh Duong.

After the rearrangement, Ho Chi Minh City will have 168 administrative units at the communal level, including 113 wards, 54 communes, and 1 district. Among these, 112 wards, 50 communes, and 1 district were formed through the merger process, while 5 administrative units at the communal level were not subject to this process: Thoi Hoa ward, Long Son commune, Hoa Hiep commune, Binh Chau commune, and Thanh An commune. The city will cover an area of over 6,722 square kilometers with a population of over 14 million people.

The Politburo’s decision on the establishment of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee and the appointment of key personnel for the 2020-2025 term was also announced. Accordingly, the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee will have 107 official members. The Standing Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee will consist of 27 members.

Following the formation of the new Ho Chi Minh City, the Politburo appointed comrade Nguyen Van Nen, member of the Politburo and Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee (former), as the Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee (new) for the 2020-2025 term. Along with this, four Deputy Secretaries of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee (new) for the 2020-2025 term were also appointed: Nguyen Thanh Nghi, member of the Party Central Committee and Standing Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee; Nguyen Van Duoc, member of the Party Central Committee and Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee and Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee; Vo Van Minh (former Deputy Secretary of the Binh Duong Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Binh Duong Provincial People’s Committee); and Nguyen Phuoc Loc, Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee and Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City.

The decision of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat on the appointment of the Inspection Commission of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, its Chairman, and Vice Chairmen was also announced, with a total of 19 members. Comrade Vo Van Dung, Head of the Ba Ria – Vung Tau Provincial Party Committee Inspection Commission, was appointed as the Head of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Inspection Commission.

The Standing Committee of the National Assembly’s resolution on the appointment of the Head and Deputy Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Ho Chi Minh City and the Chairman, Vice Chairmen, and Heads of Committees of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council for the 2021-2026 term was announced, with a total of 12 members. Comrade Nguyen Van Loi, Secretary of the Binh Duong Provincial Party Committee and Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Binh Duong province, was appointed as the Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Ho Chi Minh City.

Regarding the appointment of the Chairman and Vice Chairmen of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council, comrade Vo Van Minh, Chairman of the Binh Duong Provincial People’s Committee, was appointed as the Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council.

The Prime Minister’s decision on the appointment of the Chairman and Vice Chairmen of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee for the 2021-2026 term was also announced. Accordingly, comrade Nguyen Van Duoc, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, was appointed as the Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee (new).

The decision of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front on the establishment of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City was announced. Accordingly, comrade Nguyen Phuoc Loc, Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee and Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, was appointed as the Vice Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee and Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City (new).

At the ceremony, comrade Nguyen Thanh Nghi, member of the Party Central Committee and Standing Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, announced the resolutions and decisions of the province and city regarding the merger of communes, wards, and districts in Ho Chi Minh City, with a total of 168 units.

The rearrangement of the administrative units is a historic step with strategic significance

In his speech at the ceremony, General Secretary To Lam emphasized that in the joyful and proud atmosphere, full of aspirations to continue the renewal and development process, we are gathered here in Ho Chi Minh City, the radiant golden name and the country’s largest economic, industrial, and port center, to witness a historic event.

This is not just an administrative event, but a strategic transformation and an objective requirement of the people and the country in building dynamic regions for national and regional development, living up to the aspiration of a “powerful Vietnam by 2045.”

Throughout history, Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, and Ba Ria – Vung Tau have affirmed themselves as three strong development poles in the South, boasting outstanding achievements in industry, commerce, services, seaports, and international integration.

The integration of the three localities is not a simple combination but a crystallization of wisdom and the common will for development, forming a super city – a regional and global hub for finance, production, logistics, and innovation.

This new development space is built on a long-term vision, aiming for harmonious, sustainable, and scientific development. It is the most vivid demonstration of strategic thinking and the reform of the organizational model of the government to better serve the people, be closer to the people, and be more effective.

This is also a pioneering and breakthrough step in reforming the urban government apparatus, creating favorable conditions for the rapid, strong, and effective development of the country’s most urbanized region.

This model will enhance autonomy and flexibility in governance while providing a clear institutional framework for satellite cities, industrial parks, logistics centers, and seaport service areas to fully tap into their potential. Most importantly, a people-serving government will no longer be just a slogan but will become a concrete and substantive action, reaching every citizen and business.

“At this solemn and momentous hour, on behalf of the Party and State leaders, I respectfully call upon all officials, party members, civil servants, employees, armed forces, business community, and people of Ho Chi Minh City to unite with a high sense of consensus, act resolutely, creatively, and with discipline to bring this merged city to new heights. This is a challenge but also a historic opportunity. The success of the new City depends not only on documents or resolutions but also on popular consensus, determined leadership, and dedicated implementation,” said General Secretary To Lam.

General Secretary To Lam emphasized that the decision to rearrange the administrative units is a historic step with strategic significance, marking a new stage in the development of the state administrative apparatus and the completion of the system and organization of the political system in a synchronous, streamlined, effective, and efficient manner, toward a modern administrative governance system that is close to and serves the people, ensuring that all interests belong to the people.

The reorganization of administrative boundaries and the operation of the new local government model are objective and inevitable requirements for the country’s development in the context of globalization, digital transformation, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This is a valuable opportunity to renew our leadership thinking, reform state management methods, strongly apply science and technology, improve national governance quality, and enhance service efficiency for the people. This is the result of the 95-year revolutionary cause under the leadership of the Party, the 80-year history of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and the 40-year renewal process.

“Let every working day be a day of creation. Let every person be a warrior on the front line of innovation. Let the revolutionary spirit permeate every action, every policy, and every step forward. From today onwards, let us join hands, unite, and act in consensus to successfully implement the two-level local government model, ensure the smooth and effective operation of the organizational system, protect the legitimate rights and interests of the people, take care of social welfare, and create development opportunities for all strata of the people.

I believe that with the great national unity, with the aspiration for a powerful nation, and with the unceasing renewal will, the Vietnamese nation will firmly step forward on the path of building a peaceful, prosperous, and happy Socialist Vietnam. At this point, our team is well-prepared, our ranks are neat, and the whole nation is marching towards a bright future for the country and the happiness of the people, for a sustainably developing Vietnam,” General Secretary To Lam emphasized.

Speaking at the ceremony, Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Van Nen said that from tomorrow (July 1st), Ho Chi Minh City will become a new administrative-economic entity with a new position on the map of major cities in the region and the world, carrying great aspirations and historical opportunities to optimize its outstanding development potential and soon become a multi-center, multi-industry, and multifunctional supercity with global competitiveness and realize the goal of building a civilized, modern, and compassionate city.

“On behalf of the Party committees, authorities, and people of Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, and Ba Ria – Vung Tau, and on behalf of the individuals who have just been assigned new responsibilities, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Central Party for its resolute, consistent, and unified leadership; its decisive, synchronous, and swift direction; and its strong, clear, and effective administration. The decision to entrust Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, and Ba Ria – Vung Tau with the mission, role, and responsibility to form the new Ho Chi Minh City is not only about sentiment for the past but also about responsibility for the future; it is not just a trend but an inevitable development law,” comrade Nguyen Van Nen said.