Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has just issued Official Dispatch No. 1168/TTr-UBND to the Standing Committee of the Party Committee of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee reporting on the results of reviewing the plan to arrange commune-level administrative units in the area.
According to the report, through review, 165/168 wards, communes, and special zones proposed to maintain the status quo.
The reason is that, through review, the operation of the 2-level local government model in Ho Chi Minh City is basically stable and smooth, and no irrationalities have arisen. The organizational structure is maintained continuously, and functions and tasks are gradually clearly defined.
From July 1, 2025 to now, Ho Chi Minh City has decentralized and authorized in 9 fields with about 1,008 tasks for departments, branches and commune-level People's Committees through 87 decisions, thereby increasing the proactiveness and responsibility of agencies and units.
Localities are also promoting digital transformation, using electronic documents, digital signatures and online public services, contributing to shortening dossier processing time, reducing costs and travel time for people and businesses. The administrative apparatus is gradually shifting to management methods in the direction of "close to the people, close to the people, serving the people better".
The contingent of cadres and civil servants basically meets the requirements and adapts to new working methods. The role of heads is enhanced, and the coordination between the People's Council, People's Committee and the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee at the commune level is increasingly close. The tasks of socio-economic development, administrative reform, digital transformation, provision of public services and ensuring national defense and security are continuously implemented, without leaving gaps in state management.
Notably, 52/165 commune-level administrative units proposed to maintain the status quo but have not met the criteria for natural area or population size. Among them, 50 units have a population of 30,000 people or more but have not met the area criteria; Thanh An commune and Con Dao special zone have not met the population criteria but have large areas and isolated locations.
4 communes Long Hai, Binh Chanh, Ba Diem and Hoc Mon are developing a project to establish wards based on maintaining the status quo. After being approved by competent authorities, these units will apply area standards according to regulations for wards.
From the review results, 165 commune-level administrative units proposed to maintain the status quo to avoid disruption and not interrupt projects, especially land acquisition, site clearance, construction permits; and at the same time ensure continuity in state management, planning, land use and implementation of socio-economic development tasks in the period 2025 - 2030.
The three localities proposing the arrangement plan include Khanh Hoi ward, Xom Chieu ward and Long Son commune. However, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee does not agree with the arrangement plans proposed by these 3 localities.
On that basis, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee proposed that the Party Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee report to the Standing Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee to agree on the policy of keeping 168 commune-level administrative units in the area. Along with that, the Standing Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee continues to direct the Party Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee and the Party Committee of 168 wards, communes, and special zones to focus on implementing tasks in the period 2026 - 2030.
The goal is to continue to improve the operational efficiency of the 2-level local government model, while stabilizing the organizational structure and improving the efficiency of state management at the grassroots level.
