Reviewing the Proposal on the arrangement of administrative units at district and commune levels for the period 2023-2030

According to the Submission on the draft Resolution of the National Assembly Standing Committee on the arrangement of administrative units (Us) at district and commune levels in the period 2023 - 2030 presented by Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Nguyen Duy Thang, the draft Resolution clearly stipulates the administrative units at district and commune levels that are subject to compulsory arrangement in the period 2023 - 2025 and the period 2026 - 2030 in accordance with the objectives set out in Conclusion No. 48-KL/TW dated January 30, 2023 of the Politburo on continuing to implement the arrangement of administrative units at district and commune levels in the period 2023 - 2030 and stipulates the encouragement of the arrangement of administrative units that are not subject to compulsory arrangement.

The Deputy Minister of Home Affairs stated that the draft Resolution also specifies the content of Conclusion No. 48-KL/TW to stipulate cases where it is not mandatory to carry out the arrangement for the 2023 - 2030 period due to specific factors, except in cases where localities have a need for arrangement, it must be submitted to competent authorities for consideration and decision.

According to Vice Chairman of the Law Committee Nguyen Phuong Thuy, the Standing Committee of the Law Committee agrees with the provisions of the draft Resolution on the scope of district- and commune-level administrative units subject to rearrangement in the 2023-2025 period and the 2026-2030 period; cases where it is not mandatory to rearrange administrative units due to special factors and the principles of rearranging district- and commune-level administrative units, because it has fully grasped the spirit of Resolution No. 37-NQ/TW dated December 24, 2018 of the Politburo on the rearrangement of district- and commune-level administrative units; Conclusion No. 48-KL/TW of the Politburo; and has inherited the relevant provisions of Resolution No. 653/2019/UBTVQH13 of the National Assembly Standing Committee on the rearrangement of district- and commune-level administrative units in the 2019-2021 period.

In addition, from the opinions of voters, opinions of some localities, there are also opinions in the Standing Committee of the Law Committee that the goal of the arrangement of administrative units is not only to reduce the number of administrative units, contribute to streamlining the organizational apparatus, streamlining the payroll, reducing State budget expenditures but also ensure the enhancement of effectiveness and efficiency in State management, creating convenience for people and businesses. Therefore, administrative units with natural areas or population sizes that are too large, many times larger than the prescribed standards, also need to be considered for rearrangement, because even if there is an increase in payroll, under current conditions it is still very difficult to organize effective State management work in the area.

Basically agreeing with the Report of the Standing Committee of the Law Committee, however, delegates suggested that the draft Resolution should stipulate: Building an overall vision for the arrangement of administrative units at the district and commune levels for the period 2023 - 2030, because this is directly related to the work of planning cadres. There are opinions suggesting considering the arrangement of administrative units at the district level in mountainous provinces, with large areas, mainly forests, while the population size is small. Merging these district-level administrative units often causes difficulties in management, affecting people's access to health care and public administration services.

Concluding the meeting, Chairman of the Law Committee Hoang Thanh Tung affirmed that the Law Committee agreed with the Government's submission to the National Assembly Standing Committee to issue a Resolution of the National Assembly Standing Committee on the arrangement of administrative units at district and commune levels for the period 2023 - 2030 according to the simplified procedure.

The Law Committee also agrees with the scope and subjects of the arrangement of administrative units at district and commune levels. However, it is necessary to pay attention to some administrative units at district and commune levels with small areas but very large populations, or with administrative units at district and commune levels with very large areas and small populations to consider appropriate arrangements.

Chairman of the Law Committee Hoang Thanh Tung pointed out that Conclusion 48-KL/TW of the Politburo also requested clear regulations on budget allocation norms for administrative units after the rearrangement; on the level of support for basic construction investment for localities to supplement the budget balance during the period of stabilizing the local budget to serve the rearrangement of district-level and commune-level administrative units in the period of 2023 - 2030.

Chairman of the Law Committee Hoang Thanh Tung emphasized the spirit of creating maximum favorable conditions for localities in the arrangement of administrative units. In practice, in the arrangement of administrative units at district and commune levels in the period of 2019-2021, many localities encountered difficulties in balancing the budget for implementation. Therefore, if there are legal regulations, regulations of the National Assembly Standing Committee will facilitate, encourage and motivate localities to carry out the arrangement, especially in places with many budget difficulties and not yet ensuring self-balancing.

Chairman of the Law Committee Hoang Thanh Tung requested relevant agencies to absorb opinions at the meeting to have a written report to clarify and submit to the National Assembly Standing Committee.