At a working session with the city’s Party Standing Committee, the leader stressed that untapped resources and delayed projects must not be allowed to constrain development momentum.

Urban governance reform and bottleneck removal

City officials reported progress in implementing Party Central Committee resolutions, piloting a two-tier local government model and advancing administrative reforms, public investment and planning.

The local government model, in effect since July 2025, has initially improved administrative efficiency by shortening processing times, enhancing autonomy at the grassroots level and raising the quality of public services. Many services are now delivered beyond administrative boundaries, helping reduce paperwork time, strengthen inter-agency coordination and accelerate digital transformation across all levels of government, from the city to ward and commune levels.

Alongside these gains, the city has identified challenges related to decentralisation, inter-agency coordination and local workforce capacity. A comprehensive review of the model is underway to assess its practical effectiveness and propose adjustments to ensure consistency, coherence and alignment with the characteristics of a special urban area in the next development phase.

Party General Secretary and President To Lam urged a comprehensive review of the model, focusing on efficiency, flexibility and responsiveness to citizens’ needs, with a view to refining it into a modern framework tailored to a special urban area. He also called for early evaluation and possible institutionalisation of the model in a future law on special urban governance.

Innovation, digital transformation drive growth

The leader emphasised that the city must shift its growth model toward productivity, science and technology, innovation and digital transformation.

He highlighted the need to accelerate adoption of artificial intelligence, develop an innovation ecosystem, expand the digital economy and strengthen data infrastructure, while introducing stronger mechanisms to attract private investment in technology.

Commercialising research outcomes, developing technology markets and improving intellectual property protection were also identified as priorities to build new growth drivers.

Toward a smart, multi-centre megacity

At the meeting, the top leader also stressed that Ho Chi Minh City should not allow capital, land or development opportunities to remain stalled, urging decisive action to resolve legal, planning and investment hurdles and speed up public investment disbursement.

He called for a long-term, integrated planning vision that combines above-ground, underground and digital infrastructure, paving the way for a smart, sustainable, multi-center megacity.

The planning framework, he said, must remain open, adaptive and capable of guiding long-term development.

Regarding preparations for the 50th anniversary of the city being named after Ho Chi Minh, the leader called for meaningful, cost-effective activities linked to tangible development projects rather than ceremonial excess.

He expressed confidence that Ho Chi Minh City would continue to leverage its dynamism and innovation to maintain its role as Vietnam’s economic engine and a hub for new development models.

HCM City approves 4 high-tech projects worth US$1.23 billion

VOV.VN - Ho Chi Minh City has granted investment registration certificates to four high-tech projects in the first quarter of 2026, with total registered capital exceeding US$1.23 billion, focusing on data centres, biomedicine, advanced manufacturing and core digital infrastructure.