Politburo member and Standing member of the Secretariat Tran Cam Tu has just signed and issued Conclusion No. 126-KL/TW of the Politburo and the Secretariat on a number of contents to continue to reorganize and streamline the apparatus of the political system in 2025.
In particular, the Politburo and the Secretariat assigned the Government Party Committee to preside over and coordinate with the Central Organization Committee, the National Assembly Party Committee, relevant Party committees and organizations to study and orient the continued arrangement of removing the intermediate administrative level (district level).
"Build a plan to continue to reorganize the commune level in accordance with the new organizational model, propose the organization of the apparatus, functions, tasks, powers and responsibilities of the commune level; orient the merger of some provincial-level administrative units; propose a policy to amend and supplement relevant legal regulations and regulations of the Party, report to the Politburo in the third quarter of 2025" - the conclusion stated the task of the Government Party Committee.
Notably, information from the Ministry of Home Affairs said that the pilot study on the arrangement of provincial-level administrative units is one of the tasks set by the Government in the Government's Action Program to implement Resolution No. 27 dated November 9, 2022 of the 6th Conference of the 13th Party Central Committee on continuing to build and perfect the Socialist Republic of Vietnam's rule of law state in the new period.
According to this Action Program, the Government sets out the task of continuing to reorganize district and commune-level administrative units; studying and piloting the arrangement of provincial-level administrative units in accordance with the overall planning of national and local administrative units; developing specific mechanisms, institutions and policies to promote regional development, regional linkages strong enough, meeting the requirements of socio-economic development, ensuring national defense and security of the country.
In particular, the Ministry of Home Affairs is assigned the task of developing the Project "Continuing to arrange district and commune-level administrative units; studying a pilot arrangement of provincial-level administrative units in accordance with the overall planning of national and local administrative units".
The Ministry of Home Affairs is required to coordinate with relevant ministries and branches, complete the report and submit it to the Government in 2025.
According to Resolution No. 1211/2016/UBTVQH13 dated May 25, 2016 of the National Assembly Standing Committee on standards for administrative units and classification of administrative units, the standards of provinces under rural administrative units are clearly regulated on population size, natural area and number of administrative units at the district level under the province.
Regarding population size:
Mountainous provinces and mountainous areas with 900,000 or more people; Provinces not included in Point a of this Clause with 1,400,000 or more people.
Natural area:
Mountainous provinces and highlands from 8,000 km2 or more; Provinces not included in Point a of this Clause from 5,000 km2 or more.
Number of administrative units at the district level:
There are 9 or more units, including at least 01 city or 1 town.
However, regarding the merger and arrangement of provincial-level administrative units, in a document sent to the Ministry of Public Security at the end of November 2024, the Ministry of Home Affairs said that the merger of provincial-level administrative units is not only based on the criteria of natural area and population size, but also based on other criteria such as national security and defense, sovereignty protection, geopolitical position, regional and national planning, and community culture. Especially to ensure stability for socio-economic development.
