Ministry of Home Affairs proposes 11 provinces and cities remain unchanged and not be merged

The Ministry of Home Affairs proposed to keep 11 provincial-level administrative units unchanged, including: Hanoi, Hue, Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Son La, Cao Bang, Lang Son, Quang Ninh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, and Ha Tinh.

According to the draft Resolution of the National Assembly Standing Committee drafted by the Ministry of Home Affairs, there are 11 provincial-level administrative units nationwide that will remain unchanged and not be merged.

Implementing the conclusions of the Politburo on "merging some provincial-level units, not organizing the district level, merging some commune-level units," the draft Resolution stipulates the criteria for arranging provincial-level and commune-level administrative units in the direction of closely following the 6 criteria that have been considered and agreed upon by the Politburo, including: Natural area; population size; criteria on history, tradition, culture, religion, ethnicity; criteria on geo-economics (including criteria on geographical location, scale and level of economic development); criteria on geopolitics; criteria on national defense and security.

The Draft Resolution also stipulates that arrangements will not be made for administrative units that are isolated and difficult to organize convenient traffic connections, or administrative units that are in particularly important locations, affecting national defense, security, and the protection of national sovereignty.

According to the criteria set forth in the draft, 11 provincial-level administrative units remain the same, including: Hanoi, Hue, Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Son La, Cao Bang, Lang Son, Quang Ninh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, and Ha Tinh.

52 localities 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.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, it is expected that 9,996/10,035 commune-level units will be subject to rearrangement. After the rearrangement, the whole country will have less than 3,000 commune-level units.

The Ministry of Home Affairs also proposed that the central budget provide one-time support to provinces and cities that are receiving additional budget balance, with a support level of VND 100 billion for each provincial-level administrative unit reduced after the merger and VND 500 million for each commune-level administrative unit reduced. Based on the results of the administrative unit arrangement in 2025, the Government will submit to the National Assembly for specific decisions in the 2026 state budget estimate.

Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/bo-noi-vu-de-xuat-11-tinh-thanh-giu-nguyen-khong-sap-xep-sap-nhap.html