Ministry of Home Affairs: Hundreds of districts and communes that have not met 50% of the standards can be merged
Based on the standards of natural area and population size, there are currently 259 districts and 6,191 communes nationwide that have not met 50% of the standards.
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| According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, it is possible to merge hundreds of districts and communes that do not meet 50% of the standards. |
This morning (July 10), the Ministry of Home Affairs held a workshop to contribute ideas to develop a comprehensive project to rearrange administrative units at district and commune levels from now until 2021.
Director of the Department of Local Government Phan Van Hung said that in 30 years, from 1986 to 2016, the number of district-level administrative units increased from 431 to 713 (an increase of 277 units); commune-level administrative units increased from 9,657 to 11,162 (an increase of 1,505 units, an average increase of 50 communes per year). This number has remained unchanged until now.
The process of dividing and separating administrative units has achieved some positive results, promoting socio-economic development... However, there are some shortcomings and limitations such as the increasingly cumbersome apparatus of state agencies, increasing the number of cadres, civil servants and public employees. State budget expenditures have increased due to increased staff and salary funds for building headquarters, purchasing new working equipment, and increasing regular expenditures.
This also causes many difficulties in planning, long-term planning, and orientation of macro-economic development, causing development space to be divided, fragmented, and resources to be dispersed...
According to Mr. Hung, based on the standards of natural area and population size, the number of administrative units at district and commune levels according to Resolution 1211/2016 of the National Assembly Standing Committee, there are currently 259 districts and 6,191 communes nationwide that have not met 50% of the standards.
Resolution 18 of the 12th Central Committee, Session 6 requires that by 2021, commune-level administrative units that have not met 50% of the prescribed standards on population size and natural area must be reasonably rearranged; from 2022 to 2030, district-level and commune-level administrative units must be basically completed according to prescribed standards. Therefore, district-level and commune-level administrative units that have not met the standards will have to be rearranged.
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| Photo illustration. |
The principle of arrangement must ensure publicity, democracy, and consultation with local voters; and must follow correct processes and procedures. Priority must be given to merging an administrative unit at the district or commune level that does not meet standards into an adjacent administrative unit of the same level.
In special cases related to factors of history, tradition, culture, customs, habits, natural geographical conditions, residential communities and specific situations and conditions, it is possible to adjust and separate some commune-level administrative units or some villages and residential groups to merge into other administrative units of the same level. This is to ensure that the standards of natural area and population are met as prescribed.
Regarding the implementation roadmap, this year, the provinces and centrally-run cities will complete the project. In 2019, the necessary funding will be allocated for the project to rearrange administrative units at district and commune levels.
In 2020, complete the arrangement of the remaining district and commune-level administrative units that have not yet met 50% of the natural area and population standards; arrange the organizational apparatus, resolve the regime and policies for redundant people. And in 2021, summarize and develop a master plan for the arrangement from 2022 to 2030./.