Ho Chi Minh City approves project to merge provincial level and organize 2-level local government

The Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee said that the Conference voted to pass the Resolution of the 39th Conference with 100% consensus. This is an important premise for Ho Chi Minh City to implement the next steps in reorganizing the apparatus and administrative units at all levels in accordance with the spirit of the Central Resolution, contributing to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the political system, ensuring sustainable development in the coming period.

Previously, Comrade Nguyen Van Nen, Politburo member and Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, emphasized that this is an important conference, taking place in the context that the city is entering a key stage of implementing key political tasks, especially the implementation of new resolutions of the Central Committee on the reorganization of the apparatus and administrative units at all levels. The Secretary of the City Party Committee highly appreciated the efforts of the entire political system in effectively implementing the tasks of the first quarter of 2025.

Party committees, Party organizations, authorities, the Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations have promoted a sense of responsibility, closely followed the direction of the Central and City Party Committees, and demonstrated proactiveness and determination in action.

The Standing Committee of the City Party Committee presented the Conference with a draft project to reorganize and merge three provincial-level administrative units including Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong Province and Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province. After the reorganization, the new Ho Chi Minh City has an area of ​​6,772.65 km², reaching 135.43% of the provincial-level administrative unit standard; a population of 13,706,632 people, reaching 979.04% of the standard; a total of 168 affiliated administrative units. The total number of current cadres and civil servants is 22,878 people, the number of public employees is 132,110 people.

The new Ho Chi Minh City People's Council will merge the People's Council delegates of the above provinces and cities and continue to operate until the end of the 2021-2026 term.

The new City People's Council has 4 specialized committees.

The People's Councils at the commune level of the merged units will continue to operate until the end of the 2021-2026 term. The Chairman of the People's Council at the commune level will be appointed by the Standing Committee of the City People's Council. For wards in Ho Chi Minh City, the People's Councils of wards will continue to not be organized according to Resolution 131/2020/QH14. The organization of the People's Councils for the 2026-2031 term will comply with the amended Law.

Ho Chi Minh City will develop rapidly when merging with Binh Duong and Ba Ria - Vung Tau.

The People's Committee will implement Resolution 60-NQ/TW dated April 12, 2025 of the Central Government, organizing 15 departments and equivalent agencies. Some agencies will be rearranged and have their functions transferred, such as: transferring the Department of Foreign Affairs of Binh Duong province to the Department of Foreign Affairs of Ho Chi Minh City; dissolving the Office of the Traffic Safety Committee of Binh Duong province, transferring its tasks to the Department of Construction of Ho Chi Minh City; merging similar public service units; keeping state-owned enterprises and funds intact for the time being.

Vocational education and continuing education centers and specialized schools are transferred to the Department of Education and Training; cultural centers, libraries, children's houses, market and park management boards are transferred to the People's Committee of the commune where they are located. Radio stations are merged with district-level cultural centers; the Compensation and Site Clearance Board is transferred to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (renamed the Department of Agriculture and Environment); the District-level Project Management Board is transferred to the City People's Committee; the Bus Station Management Board is transferred to the Department of Construction; the Agricultural Service Center is transferred to the Department of Agriculture and Environment.

The Standing Committee of the City Party Committee also presented a draft project to end the activities of district-level Party Committees and reorganize the system of commune-level Party organizations in the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee. The basis for implementation is the Party Charter principles, the Party organization model corresponding to the government organization model, ensuring the comprehensive leadership of Party Committees at all levels over the political system.

The Standing Committee of the City People's Committee Party Committee has presented the Conference with a draft plan to implement a 2-level local government model (not organized at the district level). Specifically, the Ho Chi Minh City provincial level organizes the People's Council and the People's Committee, with 4 specialized committees of the People's Council and 15 departments, branches and sectors of the Provincial People's Committee. Commune level: includes the People's Council and the People's Committee of communes, wards and special zones.

The commune-level government model ensures strong and streamlined decentralization, promoting the role of the Commune People's Committee Chairman. The organizational structure includes 4 specialized departments: Office, Economic Department or Economic - Infrastructure - Urban Department, Cultural - Social Department and Public Administration Service Center.

Pursuant to Resolution 60-NQ/TW dated April 12, 2025 of the Central Government, Ho Chi Minh City proposed to arrange 273 existing wards, communes and towns into 102 new commune-level administrative units (78 wards, 24 communes), reducing 171 units, equivalent to 62.64%.

The conference also approved the plan to adjust administrative boundaries to complete the new organizational model. Some notable points mentioned in the plan are: Thu Duc City adjusts the border with Binh Duong province (National University area); District 8 adjusts the border with 3 communes of Binh Chanh district; District 1 has an administrative unit named Saigon; District 5 has an administrative unit named Cho Lon; District 11 changes the name of Cay Mai ward to Minh Phung...

Nguyen Truong Giang

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/tp-hcm-thong-qua-de-an-hop-nhat-cap-tinh-va-to-chuc-chinh-quyen-dia-phuong-2-cap-post545537.html