What more needs to be done if district, provincial and commune levels are abolished?

Recently, the Politburo and the Secretariat assigned the Government Party Committee to preside over and coordinate with the Central Organizing Committee, the National Assembly Party Committee, the Fatherland Front Party Committee, central mass organizations and relevant agencies to direct research, develop a project, and submit to the Politburo on merging a number of provincial-level administrative units, not organizing at the district level, and continuing to merge commune-level administrative units.

This content must be completed to submit to the Party Central Committee (through the Central Organizing Committee) before April 7.

Improve the qualifications of commune-level officials

Speaking with VietNamNet, Dr. Pham Trong Nghia - Full-time member of the National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Society said that to ensure the process of streamlining the apparatus is feasible and effective when eliminating the district level, attention should be paid to a number of issues.

First, it is necessary to determine the authority of the provincial and communal levels. According to Mr. Nghia, the district level currently plays an intermediary role in land management, household registration, security and order, local budget, and implementation of socio-economic development policies.

“When abolishing the district level, it is necessary to clearly define whether these functions will be transferred to the provincial level or down to the commune level,” Dr. Pham Trong Nghia noted.

Next is the issue of resources to perform functions and tasks. Mr. Nghia said that when the district level is abolished, the provincial and communal levels will have to take on more tasks (planning, licensing, resolving land disputes, etc.). Therefore, it is necessary to increase human resources, budget and facilities for the provincial and communal levels.

"It is necessary to improve the qualifications of commune-level officials to meet new requirements, while reducing dependence on intermediate levels," Mr. Nghia suggested.

Third, the issue of smooth public services, delegate Pham Trong Nghia analyzed, removing the district level, we are ready with solutions so that people do not have to travel further, the commune level has enough capacity to solve people's needs.

The issue of synchronizing the political system is also a matter that needs to be raised when considering the abolition of the district level.

“Currently, Party organizations and mass organizations are organized in parallel with the government at all three levels. Therefore, when the district level is abolished, this entire system will need to be adjusted,” said Mr. Nghia. In addition, it is necessary to review all legal documents related to the district level for amendment.

Quickly amend the law

According to delegate Pham Trong Nghia, to merge provinces and abolish district levels to streamline the apparatus to be lean, efficient, effective, and efficient, we need to make comprehensive and synchronous amendments to the legal system.

In addition to amending the Constitution to serve as the highest legal basis, specialized laws will then be amended to redefine the functions and tasks between the provincial and communal levels; especially legal provisions related to organizational structure, litigation, budget, natural resources, business conditions, population management, etc.

Mr. Nghia said that it is necessary to continue to amend the Law on Organization of Local Government. Amend the provisions related to the functions, tasks and powers of the district level, and at the same time readjust the relationship between the provincial and communal levels.

Along with that, for the judiciary, it is necessary to amend the Law on Organization of People's Courts and the Law on Organization of People's Procuracy.

Many other important laws such as the Land Law and the Environmental Protection Law will also be adjusted for smooth implementation.

In addition, it is also necessary to amend the 2015 State Budget Law because removing the district level will require amending regulations on budget allocation, transferring financial resources directly from the provincial level to the commune level, or adjusting the public financial management mechanism at the provincial level to suit the new model.

Laws related to civil status, population and administrative management will be reviewed and amended synchronously. For example, the Civil Status Law and the Residence Law stipulate the responsibilities of district-level authorities in civil status and residence management. The district level should be abolished and amended to redefine the responsibilities between the provincial and communal levels in these areas.

The amendment of these laws will be carried out quickly, decisively and smoothly with the determination of the entire political system, to build a "refined, compact, strong, efficient, effective and efficient" apparatus as General Secretary To Lam and the Central Committee have determined.

In Conclusion 127, the Politburo and Secretariat requested to review, amend and supplement Party regulations, the Constitution and State laws.

In addition to the requirement to proactively review and propose amendments and supplements to the Party Charter and Regulations on the implementation of the Party Charter, the Politburo also requested research on amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Constitution with the scope of issues related to the organization of the political system.

The Politburo assigned the National Assembly Party Committee to preside over this work, coordinate with the Government Party Committee to direct the Law and Justice Committee, the Ministry of Justice Party Committee and relevant agencies to implement and complete it no later than June 30. That is, the amendment of the Constitution must be completed within 4 months.

The Politburo also assigned the Government Party Committee and the National Assembly Party Committee (according to scope and field) to preside over and direct the Ministry of Justice Party Committee, the Law and Justice Committee Party Committee and relevant agencies to study and propose amendments and supplements to a number of related laws within a period of 4 months.

These include the Law on Organization of Local Government, Law on Cadres and Civil Servants, Law on Inspection, Law on Planning, Law on Election of National Assembly Deputies and People's Council Deputies, Law on Promulgation of Legal Documents, Law on Organization of People's Courts, Law on Organization of People's Procuracy and related laws and documents.