Following the Politburo's approval, the Party Committee of the Government will submit a proposal for merging several provinces, eliminating district-level administration, and restructuring provincial and communal administrative units for consultation with ministries, agencies, and localities.

Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra shared this information after a Politburo meeting on March 14, which agreed on the policy of reorganizing administrative units at all levels and establishing a two-tier local government model.

The Party Committee of the Government will collect feedback from ministries, agencies, and localities before consolidating the responses for submission to the Central Executive Committee, expected in mid-April.

Following the Central Conference, a national meeting will be held to implement the merger of provincial administrative units and the restructuring of communal-level administrations.

Legal and administrative preparations underway

Ministries and agencies are tasked with issuing relevant guidance documents within their jurisdictions to ensure the smooth implementation of the restructuring following the Central Conference.

Minister Tra emphasized that this process would not be overly challenging, given the government's prior experience in merging district- and commune-level administrative units. The new initiative will build upon previous efforts, expanding and refining them to accommodate the provincial-level mergers and further communal restructuring.

Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh, who heads the steering committee for administrative reorganization and the two-tier local government model, has instructed ministries and relevant agencies to review all applicable legal documents, including laws and decrees.

If sector-specific laws grant powers to district-level administrations, adjustments will be made through a resolution. This process must be expedited so that the Ministry of Justice can compile the necessary legal amendments for the government to propose to the National Assembly.

Projected reduction in administrative units

Vietnam currently has 10,035 communal-level administrative units. Under the proposal, the number of these units will be reduced by approximately 60-70%. This restructuring will effectively turn each remaining commune into a "small district."

The Standing Committee of the National Assembly has the authority to approve these changes and could implement them immediately after the Central Executive Committee meeting in April.

According to the government's proposal, one-third of district-level responsibilities will be transferred to the provincial level, while the remaining two-thirds will be delegated to the communal level.

The Politburo will determine the official designation of these newly structured communal units and set the transition timeline.

National Assembly to decide provincial mergers

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man noted that past efforts to reorganize over 1,000 communes and several districts required numerous meetings of the Standing Committee.

The upcoming plan to eliminate district-level administration and merge provinces represents an even greater challenge.

To prepare for the ninth session of the National Assembly in early May, Chairman Man indicated that this would be one of the longest sessions, spanning nearly two months with a three-week recess.

Lawmakers will deliberate on 16 bills, pass 11 draft laws, and discuss amendments to the Constitution and related legislation.

"The decision on which provinces to merge will be made by the National Assembly, while the Standing Committee will oversee the restructuring of communes and the dissolution of district-level administration. Provinces, however, must proactively prepare for these changes," Man stated.

Tran Thuong