On the morning of July 28, the National Assembly Standing Committee gave opinions on the draft Law on Urban Development (formerly known as the Law on Special Urban Areas).
Presenting the Government's report, Member of the Party Central Committee, Minister of Justice Hoang Thanh Tung said that the draft Law on Urban Development is built to create a stable, breakthrough and feasible legal framework to promote the development of Ho Chi Minh City, special urban areas, other cities and special economic zones.
The draft law focuses on two groups of contents. First, thorough and comprehensive decentralization of power to special urban areas (SEZs), especially decentralization of the issuance of legal normative documents, associated with the mechanism of supervision, inspection, and accountability.
Second, establish a system of mechanisms and policies to promote the development of DTDB in terms of urban government organization, public service regime, promulgation of legal documents, planning, construction, urban development, urban order and safety, economy, culture, and society.
One of the notable policies is to grant more authority to DTDB in building and issuing legal normative documents to detail, guide implementation and handle specific issues arising from practice.
The decentralization is designed to be linked to strict requirements on order, procedures, power control, supervision and accountability, thereby ensuring the consistency and stability of the legal system.
The Minister of Justice said that the Politburo has basically agreed with the content of delegation of authority to build institutions for DTDB in the draft law.
The draft stipulates in the direction of allowing Ho Chi Minh City to adjust the order, procedures, and authority to resolve administrative procedures in the direction of simplifying and creating favorable conditions for people and businesses in implementing investment projects, associated with digital transformation.
The draft law creates a legal basis for developing key areas in accordance with practical conditions, development requirements and the implementation capacity of the city.
Regarding the mechanism of supervision, inspection, examination and accountability, the draft law designs regulations in the direction of ensuring that policies are applied in accordance with authority, transparency, and efficiency.
Power control is placed in parallel with encouraging and protecting dynamic and creative cadres who dare to think and dare to do for the common good; and at the same time strictly handling corruption, profiteering, and policy abuse.
The Government proposes that the National Assembly Standing Committee allow the addition of the draft law to the program of the National Assembly session in August 2026 for consideration and approval according to simplified procedures.
Presenting for thẩm tra, Member of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Law and Justice Committee Phan Chi Hieu said that the Standing Committee basically agreed with the National Assembly directly delegating power to Ho Chi Minh City, DTDB, and assigning the Government to decide the scope of application to the remaining cities and special economic zones.
To ensure feasibility, the appraisal agency proposed to supplement principles as a basis for the Government to stipulate the application of mechanisms and policies to promote the development of DTDB for cities that have not been recognized as DTDB.
It is necessary to thoroughly grasp the principle of empowerment going hand in hand with power control. Each assigned authority must have a corresponding monitoring, reporting, inspection, supervision and accountability mechanism.
The thẩm tra agency requested to clarify the coordinating role of the Government in the implementation between ministries, branches, and localities; handle issues arising in the process of building, promulgating and implementing specific mechanisms and policies.
This is to ensure harmony of interests between localities that jointly apply special mechanisms and localities that do not enjoy the mechanism.
