In an interview with Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Phan Dang Toan - Secretary of Sa Pa Town Party Committee - shared: Converting the current local government organization model from 3 levels (including provincial, district and commune levels) to 2 levels (including provincial and grassroots levels) is a major, correct and strategic policy to streamline the apparatus, operate effectively and efficiently, and be implemented smoothly from the central to the grassroots level.
According to Mr. Toan, Sa Pa town is currently a member of the Friendship Cities Tourism Alliance initiated by Konming city (Yunan province, China) with 17 major cities of 8 countries and is expanding cooperative relations with many cities and towns of countries around the world.
Therefore, to maintain its role and position and maintain friendly cooperation with other localities, the People's Committee of Sa Pa town is proposing to competent authorities the idea of giving the new name "Area" to urban areas and "Rural areas".
Accordingly, after removing the district level and merging the commune level, the main positions of the Party and government such as the secretary and chairman of the People's Committee will be renovated. Instead of calling it the commune secretary and chairman of the commune People's Committee as at present, the new calling will be the secretary and chairman of the People's Committee of the area/region.
Another option proposed by Mr. Phan Dang Toan is to propose keeping the name of Sa Pa town when converting the model from the district, town, city level to the grassroots government model (commune, ward, town).
According to this plan, local governments will still ensure two levels: provincial and grassroots. Although keeping the name of Sa Pa town, the locality will operate according to the model of grassroots government, not intermediate government.
To maintain the role and position of the National Tourist Area after removing the district level, we hope that the Central and the province will carefully consider the specific names in the area to be worthy in international relations, especially Sa Pa, a locality with more than 120 years of tourism development history - the head of the Sa Pa Town Party Committee expressed.
It is known that in 2024, Sa Pa town welcomed 4.2 million tourists.
This locality sets a target of welcoming 9 million visitors by 2030, of which international visitors account for more than 30%. At the same time, building Sa Pa National Tourist Area to be international in scale with unique tourism products and high-quality services.
In an interview with Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. To Ngoc Lien - Chairman of Sa Pa Town People's Committee - said: After the arrangement of administrative units, it is necessary to determine room for the development of Sa Pa town and inherit the development of Sa Pa National Tourist Area at international scale.
Currently, Sa Pa town has been expanding cooperative relations with many domestic and international district-level localities. While many countries still have district and county levels, the names of wards and communes when paired and cooperated friendshipfully with localities will encounter many problems.
Therefore, with the name of the area or region, it is felt that it will be very close to the people and there will no longer be a gap between the provincial and commune levels, but only the grassroots level after the provincial level. If approved after the arrangement, Sa Pa will have 2 areas and 1 area.
