Detailed roadmap for merging 36 commune-level administrative units in Nghe An

On the morning of August 16, the Steering Committee for the implementation of the arrangement and merger of commune-level administrative units in Nghe An province held a meeting to deploy tasks related to the arrangement and merger. Attending the meeting were leaders of provincial departments, branches and sectors and leaders of districts with communes and towns subject to the merger. Photo: Thanh Le

Reduce 20 commune-level administrative units

According to Official Dispatch No. 3407/BNV-CQDP dated July 26, 2019 of the Ministry of Home Affairs on the overall plan for arranging administrative units (ADUs) at district and commune levels of Nghe An province in the period of 2019 - 2021, Nghe An province has 16 ADUs at commune level (14 communes, 2 towns) with both criteria (area, population) below 50% compared to the regulations that must be arranged and merged with adjacent ADUs in phase 1 from 2019 - 2021.

Deputy Director of the Department of Home Affairs Tran Quoc Chung reported the results of merging commune-level administrative units in the province. Photo: Thanh Le

The plan is to merge with adjacent communes, merge 2 communes, if not meeting the criteria, continue to merge a third commune.

For Nghe An province, Hung Nguyen has 7 communes that do not meet the criteria for area and population, after merging 2 communes together but do not meet the criteria for area and population.

However, considering the specific factors, the Ministry of Home Affairs has granted a special mechanism to only merge 2 communes into 1 commune. Accordingly, in the period of 2019 - 2021, Nghe An has 36 commune-level administrative units merged into 16 units, a decrease of 20 compared to the current number of commune-level administrative units of 480.

16 commune-level administrative units in Nghe An are subject to merger.

- Tuong Duong district: Has 1 unit, Hoa Binh town.

- Que Phong district: Has 1 unit, Kim Son town.

- Thanh Chuong district: Has 1 unit, Thanh Tuong commune.

- Dien Chau district: There is 1 unit, Dien Minh commune.

- Nghi Loc district: Has 1 unit, Nghi Hop commune.

- Nam Dan district: There are 2 units: Nam Phuc commune and Nam Thuong commune.

- Thai Hoa town: Has 1 unit, Nghia Hoa commune.

- Nghia Dan district: Has 1 unit, Nghia Tan commune.

- Hung Nguyen District: Has 7 units including communes: Hung Thang, Hung Tien, Hung Xa, Hung Nhan, Hung Phu, Hung Khanh, Hung Lam.

Complete the merger roadmap in 2019

To implement the merger of commune-level administrative units, the Provincial People's Committee issued Plan No. 491/KH-UBND dated August 13, 2019 on the arrangement of commune-level administrative units in Nghe An province.

According to the plan of the Provincial People's Committee, in 2019, localities will complete the merger of commune-level administrative units.

Nghia Dan District Party Secretary Hoang Thi Thu Trang reported the results of merging 3 communes of Nghia Dan district. Photo: Thanh Le

Accordingly,in August 2019:Communes, wards and towns organize to collect opinions on the project of arranging administrative units at the commune level; People's Councils at the commune and district levels approve the policy of arranging administrative units at the commune level.

In September 2019:The Provincial People's Committee completes the overall project and submits it to the Provincial People's Council for approval of the policy of arranging commune-level administrative units in an extraordinary session, to be completed before September 15, 2019.

From October 2019 to December 2019:After the Resolution of the National Assembly Standing Committee on the arrangement of commune-level administrative units, the Provincial People's Committee directed relevant units to implement the following contents: Arrange, organize, and perfect the organizational apparatus, arrange the staff, civil servants, public employees, and workers; resolve the regime and policies for redundant staff at agencies, organizations, and units.

Conduct a review and plan to arrange working headquarters for agencies and units affected by the merger of commune-level administrative units in accordance with the reality of the administrative units after the merger.

At the conference, localities reported on the results of the merger implementation, and pointed out difficulties and problems in the implementation process related to the arrangement of surplus staff, outstanding debts in basic construction of communes after the merger; the merger between communes that have met new rural standards and communes that have not met new rural standards; performing administrative work for citizens, etc.

In addition to the Central Government's guidance, the province needs to have unified guidance on how to do things, how to approach and arrange cadres and civil servants after merging hamlets and communes.

Nghi Loc merged Nghi Hop and Nghi Khanh communes. Photo: Sach Nguyen

Concluding the meeting, Deputy Director of the Department of Home Affairs Le Dinh Ly highly appreciated the work of statistics, surveys, assessments and plans for merging commune-level administrative units in the past time of localities and units.

Steering Committee members need to closely follow Plan No. 491/KH-UBND dated August 13, 2019 of the Provincial People's Committee and assign tasks to members to urge, inspect, guide and supervise districts to perform tasks within the prescribed time.

Districts need to proactively develop projects, consult voters, and approve them with the People's Councils at the commune and district levels; advise on plans for arranging cadres and civil servants to have a personnel arrangement plan before the Party Congress for the 2020-2025 term and the election of People's Councils at all levels for the 2021-2026 term.

Relevant departments and branches shall base on Plan No. 491/KH-UBND dated August 13, 2019 issued by the Provincial People's Committee to organize implementation in accordance with the prescribed authority and time schedule.

Thanh Le