New regulations on the order and procedures for changing the names of provinces and cities

The Lao Dong Newspaper Legal Consulting Office replied:

Clause 1, Article 1 of the Law on Organization of Local Government 2025 (effective from March 1, 2025) stipulates: Administrative units of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam include:

a) Central provinces and cities (hereinafter referred to as provincial level);

b) Districts, towns, cities under provinces, cities under centrally run cities (hereinafter referred to as district level);

c) Commune, ward, town (hereinafter referred to as commune level);

d) Special administrative - economic unit established by the National Assembly.

Article 10 of the Law on Organization of Local Government 2025 stipulates the order and procedures for changing administrative unit names as follows:

1. The Government organizes the development of a project to establish, dissolve, merge, divide administrative units, adjust boundaries and rename provincial-level administrative units to submit to the National Assembly; The Provincial People's Committee organizes the development of a project to establish, dissolve, merge, divide administrative units, adjust boundaries and rename district-level and commune-level administrative units to submit to the Government to submit to the National Assembly Standing Committee.

2. The project dossier for establishing, dissolving, merging, dividing administrative units, adjusting boundaries and renaming administrative units includes:

a) Proposal on the establishment, dissolution, merger, division of administrative units, adjustment of boundaries and renaming of administrative units;

b) Project on the establishment, disolution, merger, division of administrative units, adjustment of boundaries and renaming of administrative units;

c) Report on the synthesis of People's opinions, opinions of People's Councils at all levels and relevant agencies and organizations;

d) Draft resolution of the National Assembly or draft resolution of the National Assembly Standing Committee on the establishment, dissolution, merger, division of administrative units, adjustment of boundaries and renaming of administrative units.

3. The project to establish, dissolve, merge, divide administrative units, adjust boundaries and rename administrative units must be consulted with the people in commune-level administrative units directly affected. The Provincial People's Committee is responsible for organizing the collection of People's opinions on the policy of establishing, dissolving, merging, dividing administrative units, adjusting boundaries and renaming administrative units in appropriate forms according to Government regulations.

4. After having the results of the People's Public Opinions collection, the project development agency is responsible for completing the project and sending it to the People's Councils at the provincial, district and commune levels in relevant administrative units for consideration and comments on the establishment, disolution, merger, division of administrative units, adjustment of boundaries and renaming of administrative units.

5. The project to establish, dissolve, merge, divide administrative units, adjust boundaries and rename administrative units must be appraised before being submitted to the Government and reviewed before being submitted to the National Assembly and the National Assembly Standing Committee for consideration and decision.

6. The preparation of a project, order, and procedures for consideration and approval of a project to establish, dissolve, merge, divide administrative units, adjust boundaries, and rename administrative units shall comply with the regulations of the National Assembly Standing Committee.

Thus, the order and procedures for changing the names of provincial and municipal administrative units are prescribed as above.