State budget allocates funds to implement the merger of administrative units
After 1 year of operating the 3-level government, one of the clear results is that the state administrative apparatus has been streamlined strongly.
After arrangement, there are currently 34 provincial-level administrative units (UAs) nationwide, including 28 provinces, 6 cities; 3,321 commune-level UAs including 2,621 communes, 687 wards and 13 special zones; and ending the operation of 696 district-level units.
The system of specialized agencies under the People's Committees at all levels has also been rearranged with 467 specialized agencies under the Provincial People's Committees and 10,066 specialized departments under the Commune People's Committees.
According to statistics, there are currently 705 commune-level administrative units that have not met the standards. Among them, 17 units have not met both the natural area and population scale standards, 529 units have not met the area standards and 159 units have not met the population standards.
According to current regulations, the standards of administrative units are implemented according to Resolution 112/2025/UBTVQH15 of the National Assembly Standing Committee, effective from January 1, 2026.
Article 11 of Resolution 112/2025/UBTVQH15 has stipulated the funding for the establishment, dissolution, merger, division of administrative units, adjustment of administrative unit boundaries, and renaming of administrative units.
Accordingly, the state budget allocates funds to implement the establishment, dissolution, merger, division of administrative units, adjustment of administrative unit boundaries, and renaming of administrative units in accordance with the law on state budget and current state budget decentralization.
Within 30 days from the date of receiving the project dossier from the Provincial People's Committee, the Ministry of Home Affairs shall preside over and coordinate with relevant agencies, organizations, and individuals to organize the appraisal of the project dossier for establishment, dissolution, merger, division of administrative units, adjustment of administrative unit boundaries, and renaming of administrative units.
The appraisal is carried out based on the project dossier developed by the Provincial People's Committee and sent for appraisal in accordance with the provisions of Clause 2, Article 10 of the Law on Organization of Local Government and this Resolution.
Based on practical requirements, the Ministry of Home Affairs shall consider and decide on the organization of surveys to serve project appraisal.
Projects on establishment, dissolution, merger, division of administrative units, adjustment of administrative unit boundaries, and renaming of administrative units are appraised by the National Assembly's Law and Justice Committee before being submitted to the National Assembly and the National Assembly Standing Committee for consideration and decision.
It's not like if you don't meet the standards, you will merge
Although stipulating quite specific standards for communes and wards, Resolution 112 does not mean that all units that do not meet the criteria must be merged immediately.
The Resolution clearly stipulates that administrative units formed before January 1, 2026 do not need to be re-evaluated according to the standards specified in Chapter I of the resolution.
In addition, in cases aimed at meeting special requirements for territorial management, protecting national sovereignty or serving socio-economic development, creating motivation to link with major economic centers according to the orientation of competent authorities, administrative units can still be established, merged, divided or adjusted territorial boundaries without applying normal standards.
This shows that standards on population, area or development level are an important basis, but the arrangement of administrative units is still considered in the overall requirements for management, development and specific characteristics of each locality.
Thus, the study to continue arranging 705 communes and wards that do not meet the standards will have to be carried out on the basis of the current system of standards, while fully complying with the process of developing projects, appraising and deciding according to the provisions of law.
