Continue to implement the arrangement of administrative units at district and commune levels for the period 2023-2030

Hung Nguyen district will reduce from 252 hamlets to 126 hamlets, along with that will reduce about 1,000 positions receiving allowances. (A corner of the new rural area in Hung Nguyen district. Photo courtesy: Nguyen Book

The reorganization of administrative units is a major policy of the Party. The process of reorganizing administrative units at district and commune levels in the 2019-2021 period has closely followed the goals, requirements and tasks set out in Resolution No. 18-NQ/TW dated October 25, 2017 of the 12th Party Central Committee and Resolution No. 37-NQ/TW dated December 24, 2018 of the Politburo.

The policy also demonstrates the efforts of the entire political system from the central to the grassroots level, especially the leadership and direction roles and responsibilities of Party committees and leaders, and has received the consensus of the people. The reorganization of administrative units has contributed to significantly reducing the number of administrative units at district and commune levels, contributing to streamlining the organizational apparatus, streamlining the payroll, reducing state budget expenditures, expanding development space, promoting the potential and advantages of localities; agencies and organizations in the political system in localities implementing the reorganization are consolidated and ensure the performance of assigned functions and tasks; national defense and security are maintained, social order and safety are ensured; people's lives are stable.

However, the arrangement of district and commune-level administrative units in the 2019-2021 period still has some limitations such as: The work of arranging, organizing and resolving policies and regimes for redundant cadres and civil servants has not been well implemented; urban quality has not been guaranteed due to the merger of rural administrative units into urban administrative units; the arrangement and handling of redundant working offices after the arrangement of administrative units is still inadequate; the implementation of specific policies for new administrative units after the arrangement is not timely.

Administrative unit arrangement must be consistent with planning.

According to the planning, Cua Lo town will be merged into Vinh city. Photo courtesy of Canh Hung

On January 30, 2023, the Politburo issued Conclusion No. 48-KL/TW on continuing to reorganize district- and commune-level administrative units in the 2023-2023 period. To effectively implement the policy of reorganizing district- and commune-level administrative units in the 2023-2030 period, the Politburo requested Party committees, Party organizations, authorities, the Vietnam Fatherland Front and mass organizations at all levels to well perform the following main tasks and solutions:

Continue to implement Resolution No. 37-NQ/TW, dated December 24, 2018 of the Politburo on the arrangement of district- and commune-level administrative units; summarizing clear issues that have been proven correct in practice in the 2019-2021 period to complete legal documents and effectively organize the arrangement of district- and commune-level administrative units in the 2023-2030 period.

The arrangement of administrative units at district and commune levelsperiod 2023 - 2030must be consistent with provincial planning, rural planning, urban planning; clearly identify the subjects and roadmap for the arrangement and must ensure the consensus of the people. Encourage localities to proactively propose the arrangement of streamlined administrative units, in accordance with local practices (including administrative units that have met standards). It is not mandatory to carry out the arrangement (except in cases where the locality has a need for arrangement) for administrative units that have been arranged in the previous phase, have been stable for a long time, have isolated locations, have specific factors and rural administrative units that have been planned to become urban administrative units.

Based on administrative unit standards and regional characteristicsTo continue to reorganize district and commune-level administrative units as follows: By 2025: Complete the reorganization of district and commune-level administrative units that simultaneously meet both standards of natural area and population size under 70% of the regulations; district-level administrative units simultaneously meet standards of natural area under 20% and population size under 200% of the regulations; commune-level administrative units simultaneously meet standards of natural area under 20% and population size under 300% of the regulations. By 2030: Complete the reorganization of the remaining district and commune-level administrative units that simultaneously meet both standards of natural area and population size under 100% of the regulations; district-level administrative units simultaneously meet standards of natural area under 30% and population size under 200% of the regulations; Commune-level administrative units must simultaneously have a natural area standard of less than 30% and a population size of less than 300% of the prescribed level.

Clearly stipulate the use and roadmap for arranging the number of staff and civil servants.and the number of deputies of redundant administrative units after the rearrangement; on the budget allocation norms for administrative units after the rearrangement; on the time to enjoy special support regimes and policies for administrative units after the rearrangement; on the level of support for basic construction investment for localities that are supplemented with budget balance during the period of stabilizing local budgets to serve the rearrangement of district- and commune-level administrative units in the period of 2023 - 2030.

On implementation

The Party Delegation of the National Assembly leads and directs the National Assembly and the National Assembly Standing Committee to amend, supplement, and promulgate documents within their authority to implement the arrangement of district- and commune-level administrative units in the 2023-2030 period; promptly consider and promulgate resolutions on the arrangement of district- and commune-level administrative units of localities at the request of the Government and supervise the implementation.

The Government Party Committee leads and directs research, submits to competent authorities for promulgation, or directs the Government to promulgate appropriate mechanisms and policies to create favorable conditions for localities to effectively reorganize administrative units.

Local Party committees and authorities at all levels focus on leading and directing the implementation of the arrangement of administrative units at district and commune levels in localities in the 2023-2030 period according to regulations of the Politburo, the National Assembly Standing Committee, the Government and instructions of ministries and central agencies.

Agencies and organizations in the political system from the central to grassroots levels clearly identify the implementation of the arrangement of administrative units at the district and commune levels in the period of 2023 - 2030 as an important political task; pay special attention to and carry out well the work of propaganda and mobilization of the people to create consensus, support and high unanimity on the policy of arranging administrative units at the district and commune levels in the period of 2023 - 2030. The results of the implementation of assigned tasks in the work of arranging administrative units are the basis for assessing the level of task completion of the Party Committee, the government and the head.

The Party Committee of the Ministry of Home Affairs presides over and coordinates with relevant agencies to conduct a preliminary and final review of the implementation of administrative unit arrangement for the 2023-2030 period and report to the Politburo.