National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn holds a working session with authorities of Hải Phòng City on Wednesday. VNA/VNS Photo

HẢI PHÒNG – National Assembly (NA) Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn has urged the northern port city of Hải Phòng to comprehensively and effectively carry out and complete the urban administration model, ensuring stable and continuous state management and public services delivery.

He made the statement while delivering a speech at a conference held in the port city on Wednesday to announce the NA’s resolution on the organisation of Hải Phòng’s urban administration and the NA Standing Committee’s resolution on the administrative restructuring at district and commune levels for the 2023–25 period.

Laying stress on the significance of the model and the rearrangement of the administrative units, the top legislator elaborated that they will create favourable conditions to mobilise resources as well as capitalise on existing potential and strengths to promote local socio-economic development. The efforts are expected to enhance governance efficiency, reduce public expenditure, and improve the living standards of citizens and public servants alike, while safeguarding national defence and ensuring social safety in the new situation.

Mẫn commended Hải Phòng’s remarkable achievements in socio-economic development, national security and administrative reform, underscoring that the implementation of the resolutions requires steadfast commitment, determination and close collaboration across sectors, and the people’s support.

Against the backdrop, he called on the city to effectively carry out communications work to raise public awareness of the goals and significance of the documents, alongside resolving any grievances arising during the implementation. He stressed the city must ensure the legitimate rights of the public servants and labourers who are affected by the streamlining initiative.

He went on to say that following the restructuring, enterprises must be better served, local people’s lives must be improved, and traditional cultural values must be better preserved and promoted, adding priority should be given to penning socio-economic development strategies and developing infrastructure to attract investors, helping transform Hải Phòng into a smart, modern urban centre.

The city must develop specific policies and mechanisms that position itself as a leading economic hub not just nationally, but regionally and internationally, meeting the country’s development requirements and getting ready to enter the new era – the era of the nation’s rise, he emphasised, adding it should enhance oversight over the implementation to remove bottlenecks in a timely manner and work to fight against corruption, wastefulness, and negative phenomena.

Mẫn expressed his confidence that Hải Phòng will maximise its potential, strengths and resources to promote reforms and make breakthrough development in the coming time, particularly sound implementation of the resolutions adopted at the 13th National Party Congress and the city’s 16th Party Congress as well as meticulous preparations for Party congresses at all levels towards the 14th National Party Congress.

The reforms, set to take effect on January 1, 2025, include establishing a single- and two-tier administrative system, with districts and wards no longer maintaining the People's Councils. Notably, the restructuring will reduce administrative units at the commune level by 50, or 23 per cent - the second-largest reduction nationwide. VNS