National Assembly to debate merger of provinces in mid-year session
VOV.VN - The National Assembly will consider the restructuring of grassroots-level administrations, including the elimination of district-level administrative units and merger of provincial-level administrative units, in its coming ninth session, starting in May, according to National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man.
In addition to merging communes under the authority of the National Assembly Standing Committee, further significant steps will be taken, such as eliminating district-level administrative units and merging provinces, said Man at the ongoing sitting of the National Assembly Standing Committee in Hanoi on March 11.
This is a task with an enormous workload and considerable difficulty, that requires careful planning to ensure efficiency, administrative stability, and alignment with the country’s development realities, he reminded.
According to the top legislator, these matters will be considered at the upcoming nine session of the legislature that is also scheduled to debate the Constitutional amendment.
The upcoming session will be the longest, that is likely to last up to two months, with a three-week recess, he said, adding during this session, the legislature will pass 11 laws and discuss 16 laws already included in the legislative agenda, alongside the Constitutional amendment
The restructuring and merging of district- and provincial-level administrative units are part of efforts to streamline the government apparatus and enhance administrative efficiency and effectiveness.
However, this process also presents various challenges related to organizational structure, personnel management, citizens’ rights, and the stability of localities after the mergers. The National Assembly therefore stressed the need for a clear roadmap, a solid legal foundation, and a high level of consensus from all levels of government and the public.
At present, Vietnam has 63 provincial-level administrative units, 696 districts, and 10,035 communes and wards. It aims to merge many provinces, eliminate districts and cut the number of communes by 60-70% this year.
Commune-level administrative units to be reduced by four times to 2,500
VOV.VN - The number of commune-level administrative units in Vietnam is expected to be cut from over 10,000 at present to 2,500 this year after the planned merger, according to Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh.
