The Politburo and the Secretariat have directed the implementation of research and proposed to continue to reorganize the apparatus of the political system, including eliminating the district level and merging a number of provincial and commune-level administrative units. This is a strategic decision to modernize national governance, improve effectiveness and efficiency, and promote stronger national development. The vision of this policy is to streamline the apparatus, improve management efficiency by eliminating intermediate levels, helping to make decisions faster and reduce overlapping functions.
At the 9th extraordinary session of the 15th National Assembly, speaking at the group, General Secretary To Lam emphasized: I think this is what the people have been waiting for for a long time. With this streamlining of the apparatus, saving money is only a part, more important is the efficiency, effectiveness, and efficiency of the apparatus, bringing the country to development. This is what is most desired.
The spirit of "running and queuing at the same time"
Also at the above meeting, when talking about the determination to streamline the apparatus of the political system, General Secretary To Lam said: “When arranging, some comrades said to do it after the congress, in the new term, but if we do it, there will be a lot of conflicts. Reorganizing, this ministry, that ministry, there are many psychological issues, it cannot be done. I said, waiting until the congress is even more impossible, right after the congress, there are elections and votes, who can do anything else, it is very difficult. Therefore, this is a golden opportunity to streamline the apparatus”.
Based on the successes of the first round of streamlining the apparatus in November 2024, on February 28, the Politburo and the Secretariat issued Conclusion 127-KL/TW in 2025 on implementing research and proposing to continue to reorganize the apparatus of the political system.
Conclusion: The Government Party Committee urgently implements, ensures progress and reports to the Politburo for the policy before asking for opinions from Party committees and organizations at all levels no later than March 9, 2025. Accepting opinions from the Politburo and the Secretariat, finalizing the project and sending it to provincial Party committees, city Party committees, Party committees directly under the Central Committee, agencies, organizations and Central Party committees no later than March 12, 2025 for opinions.
Receive comments from provincial, municipal, and central party committees, agencies, organizations, and central party committees, complete the project, and report to the Politburo and the Secretariat before March 27, 2025. Receive comments from the Politburo, the Secretariat, and agencies, complete the project and submission; submit to the Central Party Executive Committee (through the Central Organization Committee) before April 7, 2025.
At the recent regular Government meeting in February, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested: Focus on completing the project to rearrange the boundaries of administrative units according to the direction of the Politburo to submit to competent authorities, in the direction of merging a number of provinces to expand the provincial boundaries in accordance with criteria, conditions, circumstances, historical-cultural traditions; not organizing at the district level; reducing focal points to expand the scale of the commune level; at the same time, propose to amend, supplement and perfect related legal documents. At the same time, ministries, branches and agencies under the Government must complete the internal organization this week.
In particular, at the meeting of the Standing Committee of the Government Party Committee to discuss and give opinions on the project to rearrange and reorganize administrative units at all levels and build a 2-level local government to prepare for submission to competent authorities, after listening to the report of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the opinions of the delegates, the Standing Committee of the Government Party Committee agreed on the model of a 2-level local government. That is: provincial level (including provinces and centrally-run cities) and grassroots level. At the same time, it discussed the proposed plans to merge some provincial-level units, not organize the district level, and merge some commune-level units.
Everything in the streamlining of the organizational apparatus is taking place in accordance with the spirit of "running while lining up" set forth by the Central Committee, the Politburo, and the Secretariat.
Mr. Nguyen Duc Ha, former Head of the Department of Party Base (now the Department of Party Base and Party Members), Central Organization Committee, said that within only half a month, the Politburo and the Secretariat issued two Conclusions, 126-KL/TW and 127-KL/TW. Conclusion 126-KL/TW stipulates: "research" to eliminate the district level, merge some provincial administrative units. Conclusion 127-KL/TW clearly stipulates: "research and orientation". Thus, the Politburo and the Secretariat have researched, reviewed and directed the "orientation" and determined the progress of the implementation milestones. Now the spirit is "only discuss, do not discuss backward" to eliminate the district level, merge provinces, merge communes.
When the district level is abolished, according to Mr. Ha, the government consists of 3 levels: central, provincial, and communal. Later, the Party system will also have 3 levels corresponding to the State government system. "From now on, we must amend and supplement the Constitution, and amend and supplement the Party Charter," said Mr. Ha.
To implement Conclusion 127-KL/TW of the Politburo and the Secretariat on deploying, researching, and proposing to continue restructuring the organizational apparatus, on March 5, the Bac Giang Provincial Party Committee issued a plan to disseminate and implement Conclusion 127-KL/TW of the Politburo and the Secretariat on deploying, researching, and proposing to continue restructuring the organizational apparatus.
According to the plan, the Party Committee of the People's Committee of Bac Giang province presides over and coordinates with the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Board, the Provincial People's Council Party Committee, the Fatherland Front Party Committee and provincial unions and relevant agencies and units to report on the organization and operation of provincial, district and commune-level administrative units in the province before March 10. The Party Committee of the People's Committee of Bac Giang province coordinates with agencies to proactively deploy the preparation and implementation of contents in the process of developing a project on merging a number of provincial-level administrative units, not organizing at the district level, continuing to merge commune-level administrative units as required by the Central Government, promptly reporting to the Standing Committee of the Bac Giang Provincial Party Committee.
Abolishing district level: People benefit
Mr. Ho Thanh Thuy - Head of the Organizing Committee of Bac Lieu Provincial Party Committee said that the initial results in implementing the policies of the Central and Provincial Party Committee on personnel work in Bac Lieu have contributed significantly to the achievements in socio-economic development in the province in recent times. Therefore, after the Central Government officially decided not to organize the district level in accordance with Conclusion 127-KL/TW of the Politburo and the Secretariat; the personnel work and staff of the province still meet the requirements of the tasks set out in the new situation.
According to Mr. Dang Ngoc Oanh - Secretary of the Party Cell of Residential Group No. 4, Quang Trung Ward, Nam Dinh City, Nam Dinh Province: Conclusion No. 127-KL/TW of the Politburo and the Secretariat on implementing research and proposing to continue to reorganize the apparatus of the political system, with the "highlight" of merging a number of provincial-level administrative units, not organizing at the district level, continuing to merge commune-level administrative units are very correct and necessary policies, of historical significance, truly a revolution.
Looking from the grassroots, Mr. Oanh realized that the arrangement and streamlining of the apparatus, including not organizing the district-level government - the intermediate level, will bring many benefits. Not only saving the budget, when merging provinces, the development space of the new province will be expanded, overcoming the situation of division. When there is no longer a district-level - the intermediate administrative level, all policies and guidelines will be quickly implemented at the grassroots level along with many other benefits.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Viet Nga - Deputy Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Hai Duong province said that from the time of the country's founding until now, the district level has fulfilled its role and mission well.
However, depending on each different historical period, we have different ways of organizing the government at different levels. Currently, the government is organized at 4 levels and stipulated in the Constitution including: commune, district, province, central. Now the conditions are much different and the intermediate level of the district level is no longer necessary. Because the road infrastructure and means of transport are very convenient, even in the mountainous provinces, there are convenient inter-provincial roads to the district and communes. With the development of information technology, digital transformation can be done online from the central level down to each local Party cell. Therefore, the role of the district level is currently limited.
“Resolving work right at the commune will save time and money for people, much easier and more convenient than having to go to the district or province. There are even cases where the district is only registered, but the district transfers it to the province,” said Ms. Nga, adding that “It is time to abolish the district level to strengthen the commune level, which is an effective solution.”
Strengthening cadres from province, district to commune
However, the question being raised is, if the district level is abolished, how can the apparatus operate smoothly when efficiency is heavily weighted towards the role of the commune level. Because this will be the level that resolves people-related issues after the district level is abolished. That is why Conclusion 127-KL/TW requested the merger of commune-level administrative units.
Regarding this issue, Ms. Nguyen Thi Viet Nga said that if the district-level government is no longer organized, all functions and tasks can be strengthened for the commune level.
"We recently abolished the district police. Previously, only the district police had the function of investigation, but after abolishing the district police, some functions were enhanced for the commune police," said Ms. Nga, adding that it is necessary to increase the authority, responsibility, and tasks for localities, and strongly decentralize power, as is the viewpoint of the Party and Government.
Mr. Ho Thanh Thuy, Head of the Organizing Committee of Bac Lieu Provincial Party Committee, said that in order to create consensus among district and commune-level cadres to successfully complete their tasks, immediately after Conclusion 127-KL/TW, the Standing Committee of Bac Lieu Provincial Party Committee issued Official Dispatch No. 1523-CV/TU, dated March 2, 2025 to focus on leading and directing Party committees and organizations at all levels to proactively disseminate and promote the policy of streamlining the organizational apparatus; do a good job of political and ideological work, create high consensus in society, especially for cadres and party members in general and district-level cadres and party members in particular; lead and direct to ensure that the activities of agencies, units and localities are not affected. At the same time, regularly fight against and handle bad, toxic and distorted information in the implementation of the policy of streamlining the organizational apparatus of the political system.
In addition, Mr. Thuy informed: Bac Lieu Provincial Party Committee and Party committees at all levels in the entire provincial Party Committee have directed the timely, serious and synchronous implementation of central documents on building cadres at all levels; clearly defining goals, tasks, solutions and implementation roadmaps, and at the same time directing Party committees, Party organizations, agencies and units to thoroughly grasp and implement. Since then, the cadres, civil servants and public employees have a firm political ideology, sufficient qualities, qualifications and capacity, meeting the requirements of assigned tasks in all conditions and circumstances.
Mr. Nguyen Duc Ha also commented that when there are 3 levels of government, the apparatus will definitely be streamlined, with fewer intermediaries and levels. The most important thing is still the staff because when streamlining the organization, the important factor is still the quality of the people.
Associate Professor, Dr. Le Quoc Ly - former Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics:
Merging provincial administrative units is a general trend.
The merger of some provincial administrative units is in line with the trend of countries in the world and the current development conditions of our country. Because there are many large countries with large populations like China but only have 34 provinces, cities and special economic zones. We have 63 provinces and cities. The cumbersome apparatus has spent over 70% of the budget, there is no money to invest in development. Therefore, although the economy has grown for many years, it is still sluggish growth. This is raising the question for us: is it time to wake up, look straight at the truth to change our thinking? It is time for us to have the aspiration to rise up. We need to do and change radically. We must affirm that we are now a large country because our area ranks 61/200 countries in the world; our economy ranks 35th in the world; our exports rank 23rd in the world. If we want to rise up, we must change.
Recently, the Politburo decided to exempt tuition fees for students from kindergarten to high school at public schools - this is very exciting, in line with the direction of socialism. Reforming, reorganizing, and streamlining the apparatus is a must.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Viet Nga - Deputy Head of the Delegation, National Assembly Delegation of Hai Duong Province
Promoting economic region's strengths
Regarding the merger of some provincial administrative units, in a certain historical condition, it was necessary to divide them to promote the capacity of each locality, ensuring development. But now the conditions are different, to be too fragmented would be wasteful and separate between provinces, affecting the overall development of the country. To promote the strengths of economic regions, inter-regional strengths, merging some provinces according to specific criteria is appropriate. Especially now in leadership and management, we have enough capacity to be able to lead and manage on a large scale.
Mr. Dang Ngoc Oanh - Secretary of Party Cell of Residential Group No. 4, Quang Trung Ward, Nam Dinh City, Nam Dinh Province
Need to ensure similarities, complement each other to develop together
In merging several provinces, it is necessary to ensure similarities, complement each other for mutual development, promote the strengths of each province; preserve the cultural identity of the locality; especially maintain solidarity. The large-scale restructuring and streamlining of the apparatus has led to the work and life of many cadres, civil servants and public employees being affected and disrupted, many people having to quit their jobs halfway. Therefore, the Party and the State need to provide spiritual encouragement; have appropriate and timely support policies so that everyone can feel secure, agree, and join hands to successfully carry out this great and historic revolution.
Source: https://daidoanket.vn/mo-hinh-3-cap-chinh-quyen-khong-the-cham-tre-10301074.html
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