Two cases where it is not mandatory to merge provinces and communes
According to the draft Resolution of the National Assembly Standing Committee on administrative unit arrangement, there are 2 cases where it is not mandatory to merge provinces and communes.
The first case is an administrative unit (ADU) with an isolated location and difficult to organize convenient transportation. The second case is an ADU with a particularly important location, affecting national defense, security and the protection of national sovereignty.
Along with other criteria on natural area, population size, historical and cultural factors, infrastructure, etc., the Ministry of Home Affairs proposed that 11 provinces and cities remain the same: Hanoi, Hue, Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Son La, Cao Bang, Lang Son, Quang Ninh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh.
The remaining 52 provincial-level administrative units subject to rearrangement include 4 cities: Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Can Tho and 48 provinces: Ha Nam, Hung Yen, Vinh Phuc, Bac Ninh, Thai Binh, Hai Duong, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, Bac Kan, Thai Nguyen, Phu Tho, Bac Giang, Hoa Binh, Tuyen Quang, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Ha Giang, Ninh Thuan, Quang Tri, Phu Yen, Quang Binh, Quang Ngai, Khanh Hoa, Dak Nong, Tay Ninh, Binh Duong, Binh Thuan, Binh Phuoc, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Ben Tre, Bac Lieu, Vinh Long, Hau Giang, Tra Vinh, Tien Giang, Soc Trang, Dong Thap, An Giang, Long An, Ca Mau, Quang Nam, Binh Dinh, Dak Lak, Dong Nai, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Lam Dong, Kien Giang.
In addition, during the research process, priority is also given to arranging administrative units in mountainous and delta areas with coastal administrative units; harmoniously and reasonably combining administrative units with adjacent locations associated with development orientation requirements to support each other, and together promote economic development of administrative units after arrangement.
The arrangement of administrative units and the merger of provinces have the highest goal of developing the country, expanding development space for new administrative units, and promoting the leading role of dynamic regions, economic corridors, and growth poles.
Regarding the selection of administrative-political centers, the Ministry of Home Affairs made some suggestions: Choose the administrative center of one of the current provincial-level administrative units to ensure that the provincial-level local government quickly goes into stable operation; the new administrative center must have a favorable geographical location, synchronous socio-economic infrastructure, especially a developed transportation system (airport, road, bridge, etc.), the new administrative center needs to have space for future development, avoiding imbalances between localities when merging.
As planned, the current 63 provinces and cities will be rearranged into about 34 provinces and cities, without organizing district-level administrative activities and organizing about 5,000 commune-level administrative units - reduced from more than 10,000 commune-level administrative units.
2-LEVEL LOCAL GOVERNMENT MODEL, ELIMINATING DISTRICT LEVEL
According to Conclusion No. 126 dated February 14 and Conclusion No. 127 dated February 28, the Politburo and the Secretariat requested: "Research the orientation of merging some provincial-level administrative units, not organizing at the district level, merging some commune-level units; implementing a 2-level local model (party organization, government, mass organizations), ensuring streamlining, efficiency, effectiveness, and efficiency".
The recent draft Law on Organization of Local Government (amended) also proposed to organize administrative units and local government at two levels including province and grassroots, not at district level.
In which, the provincial level remains as current regulations including: Provinces and centrally-run cities but merges a number of provincial-level administrative units to ensure meeting prescribed standards and expanding development space.
At the same time, reorganize current commune-level administrative units to form grassroots administrative units including communes, wards and special zones on islands to suit the new organizational model.
Special economic administrative units - kept as current regulations are established by decision of the National Assembly.
