Editorial: The Politburo and the Secretariat have basically agreed on the policy on the project to rearrange and reorganize administrative units at all levels and build a two-level local government model; merge some provinces, abolish the district level, and continue to merge the commune level.
This content is being consulted with Party committees, sectors and localities to complete the project. The Politburo will present it to the 11th Central Conference, scheduled for mid-April.
The policy of rearranging administrative units at all levels this time aims at a large goal, with a hundred-year strategic vision. General Secretary To Lam emphasized: The rearrangement of administrative units at all levels this time "is not simply a matter of adjusting administrative boundaries but also adjusting economic space; adjusting the division of labor, decentralization, adjusting the allocation and combination of economic resources".
Recognizing the importance of this policy in the process of bringing the country into the era of national development, VietNamNet organizes a series of articles "The historical administrative unit arrangement with a hundred-year vision" with analysis and evaluation by many prestigious experts.
One of the major orientations and also the goal of the arrangement of administrative units at all levels this time was clearly stated by General Secretary To Lam: "It is not simply a matter of adjusting administrative boundaries but also a matter of adjusting economic development space; adjusting the division of labor, decentralization, allocation and combination of economic resources".
Merging to streamline and save costs is only one part, merging to create momentum for development is important.
Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra has repeatedly emphasized the goal of this administrative unit arrangement. That is to expand development space, create a foundation and momentum for the country in the new era; at the same time, ensure long-term stability of the system and organization with a hundred-year strategic vision.
Speaking with VietNamNet, National Assembly delegate Vu Trong Kim, former Secretary of the Quang Tri Provincial Party Committee, said that the province's merger was to have more resources for breakthroughs.
"A small province is like a tight shirt, just a slight movement will cause it to tear, so it is difficult to do anything. Therefore, if we want to expand, develop, and nurture big ambitions, we must buy a new, larger shirt to create space for development," he said.
Mr. Kim gave an example that if Ho Chi Minh City merged with 1-2 provinces, there would be resources in terms of capital and human resources to promote the strong development of the Southeast region. Some provinces in the Central Highlands could merge with some coastal provinces in the Central region to have more conditions for development.
According to him, in the past, when roads were difficult to travel and information technology was not yet developed, 'small provinces, small districts, small communes' were suitable.
This merger took place in the context of increasingly modern infrastructure and rapidly developing information technology. Therefore, the merger has a very clear goal of creating momentum for socio-economic development for the province.
Associate Professor, Dr. Vu Van Phuc - Vice Chairman of the Scientific Council of Central Party Agencies, commented that after the merger and consolidation, each province will be larger, have more space for development, and will not be divided by administrative boundaries as much as it is now.
Furthermore, when merging provinces and abolishing the district level, the implementation of policies and guidelines down to the grassroots level will be very quick, smooth, and put into practice because it does not need to go through an intermediary level.
"Not to mention, the intermediate level can also be a barrier, creating many sub-mechanisms and policies," Mr. Phuc stated the reality.
On the other hand, the grassroots level closest to the people, when problems arise that need to be reported or opinions sought, will immediately report them to the provincial level. The leadership, direction, supervision and inspection of the provincial level with the grassroots level will also be faster.
When merging and consolidating, the organizational structure will be more compact, the number of cadres, civil servants and public employees will be reduced. That means investment to "feed" the local apparatus will be greatly reduced.
That part of the expenditure can be used to increase investment in national development, develop new provinces and communes, and take care of social security for the people.
He cited the recent decision by the Politburo to exempt tuition fees for students from kindergarten to high school from the next school year. Or the General Secretary raised the question of whether hospital fees will be exempted by 2030 when going to the hospital for medical examination and treatment.
“People welcome these policies and decisions of the Party. If the budget for the organization is used for medical examination and treatment, I believe people will be very happy,” Mr. Phuc emphasized.
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Viet Thong, former General Secretary of the Central Theoretical Council, said that when arranging and organizing local apparatuses, we should not be rigid but should combine criteria on area, population, history, culture, and development conditions of each region.
According to him, if previously the arrangement was based on geographical conditions of plains, mountains, and coastal areas, this time it is possible to combine elements to create a whole, connecting localities together, creating conditions for mutual development.
“This is for the common good of the country, we must absolutely avoid the idea of rich provinces merging with poor provinces, there is no rich or poor province here. This locality may have a higher average income but it is not certain that it is richer in resources, potential, culture than the other locality… Therefore, in the merger, we cannot say that you are richer than me, I am a burden to you. This is an idea that needs to be overcome,” Mr. Thong shared.
He cited that in the world, to distinguish a happy country, in addition to the criteria of average income per capita, it is also based on many factors such as political security, people's trust, social security, health, and life expectancy of the people...
He also acknowledged that 63 provinces and cities still have a “local, regional, and territorial mentality”, with one effect after another. Typically, there are periods when there is a “cement effect”, “sugar factory effect”, “university effect”… That is, “whatever your province has, my province must have too, we cannot be inferior”.
Therefore, this time, the arrangement and organization of provincial administrative units, removing the district level to form a larger province, aims to create room for development, worthy of investing in projects of the right scale.
He cited developed countries like China - a large country with only about 30 provinces and cities; America has 50 states, and Japan has only 47 provinces and cities.
In 2022, for the first time, the Politburo issued 6 resolutions on socio-economic development, ensuring national defense and security in 6 regions until 2030, with a vision to 2045. Mr. Thong noted that the merger of provinces also needs to pay attention to regional connectivity to create development space with a long-term vision.
From the perspective of a businessman, Dr. Tran Khac Tam - Chairman of the Soc Trang Province Business Association is looking forward to this "revolution" in restructuring the administrative apparatus.
Because merging provinces and eliminating district levels will create more favorable conditions for the business community, create more space for regional economic and social development, and reduce administrative procedures.
Localities will have a larger environment to attract development resources. Small provinces merging into large provinces will take full advantage of each other's potential and strengths.
He analyzed that this area has agricultural products, goods, and resources but does not have enough facilities, modern processing technology, or seaports for export. The other area has seaports but does not have sources of goods for export.
Businesses will certainly benefit greatly. Previously, to implement a project, businesses would have to go from the provincial level to the district level, then down to the commune level to complete paperwork. Although administrative procedures have been “digitalized”, there is still a delay due to waiting for approval at various levels.
“If the ‘intermediate’ level, the district level, no longer exists, businesses will have one less level of work, saving a lot of time,” said Mr. Tam.
According to him, a business investing in another province will certainly encounter certain obstacles. But with a larger province after the merger, the room and opportunity for investment is huge. Businesses can completely invest in other areas easily without encountering any obstacles.
Vietnamnet.vn
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/sap-nhap-tinh-khong-the-noi-anh-giau-hon-toi-toi-la-ganh-nang-cho-anh-2382478.html
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