The Government has just issued Decree No. 321/2025/ND-CP guiding the collection of public opinions on the establishment, dissolvement, merger, division, adjustment of boundaries and renaming of administrative units. The Decree takes effect from December 16, 2025.
In case of establishing, dissolving, merging, dividing, adjusting the boundary and renaming the provincial administrative unit, the People's Committee (UBND) at the provincial level shall collect public opinions at all commune-level administrative units under that provincial-level administrative unit.
In case of establishing, dissolving, merging, dividing, adjusting the boundary and renaming the commune-level administrative unit, the provincial People's Committee will organize a public consultation at that commune-level administrative unit.
The People's Committee at the provincial level organizes the collection of public opinions by distributing votes to households according to the form prescribed in the appendix issued with this Decree and the provisions of law on implementing democracy at the grassroots level.
The Decree stipulates the order and procedures for collecting public opinions as follows:
After developing a project to establish, dissolve, merge, divide, adjust boundaries and rename administrative units, the People's Committee at the provincial level issued a document with a form of opinion collection form and comments to the People's Committee at the commune level; directed and instructed the People's Committees at the commune level to develop a plan and organize the collection of opinions from the people in each village and residential group.
Within 60 days from the date of receipt of the document from the Provincial People's Committee, the Commune People's Committee shall complete the collection of public opinions.
Within 5 working days from the date of completion of the public consultation, the People's Committee at the commune level will synthesize and prepare a report on the results of the public consultation in the area to the People's Council at the same level, the People's Committee at the provincial level and send the website and electronic information portal of the People's Committee at the commune level.
For commune-level administrative units that do not organize People's Councils, the People's Committees at the commune level will synthesize and prepare a report on the results of collecting opinions from local people to the Provincial People's Committee and send them to the website and electronic information portal of the People's Committees at the commune level.
Within 5 working days from the date of receipt of the report on the results of the public consultation of the People's Committee at the commune level, the People's Committee at the provincial level shall direct the preparation of a report summarizing the results of the public consultation of the relevant commune-level administrative units to directly send to the People's Council at the same level, the Government's Electronic Information Portal and the page and electronic information portal of the Provincial People's Committee.
Within 5 working days, the Government's Electronic Information Portal and the websites and portals of the People's Committees at the provincial and commune levels are responsible for posting the results of the public consultation.
The results of the public consultation on the establishment, disolution, merger, division, adjustment of boundaries and renaming of provincial-level administrative units reaching 50% or more of the total number of households in the area (provincial-level administrative units) are in agreement, then the project development agency will continue to complete the project and send it to the provincial People's Council for consideration and comments.
The results of collecting public opinions on the establishment, disolution, merger, division, adjustment of boundaries and renaming of commune-level administrative units reaching 50% or more of the total number of households in the area (commune level) are in agreement, then the project development agency will continue to complete the project and send it to the People's Councils at the provincial and commune levels for consideration and comments.
In case the commune-level administrative unit does not organize a People's Council, the provincial People's Committee will direct the completion of the project and send it to the provincial People's Council for consideration and comments.
