On the morning of April 18, at the 22nd thematic session, the 10th term Ho Chi Minh City People's Council officially approved a resolution approving the policy of merging three localities: Ho Chi Minh City (Ho Chi Minh City), Binh Duong province and Ba Ria - Vung Tau province.
After the merger, the new administrative unit will still be called Ho Chi Minh City, becoming a super urban area of the Southeast region.
The political - administrative center of Ho Chi Minh City after the merger will be located in Ho Chi Minh City.
In addition, two additional administrative centers will be maintained at the existing locations of the remaining two provinces.
The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee was assigned to preside over and coordinate with the People's Committees of Binh Duong and Ba Ria - Vung Tau provinces to complete the dossier, submit it to competent authorities for consideration and approval of the project before May 1.
After the merger, the new Ho Chi Minh City will have an area of 6,772.65 km2, the total urban population will reach 13,706,632 people, with 168 commune-level administrative units, including 113 wards, 54 communes and 1 special zone.
Regarding personnel, the new Ho Chi Minh City will streamline 9,732 part-time workers in 2025.
For 12,600 redundant commune and district-level cadres and civil servants, the roadmap will last until 2029, with a plan to reduce an average of 2,500 people per year.
According to the assessment, the merger will create a new economic - urban center with strong competitiveness, maximizing the natural, geographical and infrastructure advantages of the three localities.
The adjacent location and synchronous transportation system connecting the three localities makes planning of economic and urban space more convenient and effective.
The land fund is expanding, creating conditions for strategies for population dispersion, satellite urban development and construction of modern new urban areas.
The synchronized transport infrastructure, especially the road, waterway and seaport systems, will enhance regional connectivity and improve logistics capacity.
The seaport linkage between Ho Chi Minh City and Ba Ria - Vung Tau province is expected to operate more effectively, while opening up the possibility of integrating Binh Duong's port into the regional logistics chain.
In terms of management, the merger will not disrupt the operation of the administrative apparatus but instead increase synchronization and efficiency by jointly pursuing the goals of administrative reform, digital transformation and science and technology development.
