Residents carry out administrative procedures in Yên Dương Commune, Tam Đảo District in the northern province of Vĩnh Phúc. VNA/VNS Photo Hoàng Hùng

HÀ NỘI — The Politburo and Secretariat of the 13th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Việt Nam have set out details on looking at abolishing district-level administrative units and merging certain provincial-level units, as part of a broader effort to streamline the political system.

On behalf of the Politburo and the Secretariat, Permanent Member of the Party Secretariat Trần Cẩm Tú signed a conclusion outlining key measures to continue restructuring and optimising the political system in 2025.

To complete the restructuring from central to local levels by February 2025, the Politburo and Secretariat have assigned the Party Committee of the Government, in collaboration with the Central Organisation Commission, the National Assembly’s Party Committee and relevant Party committees and organisations, to lead research on eliminating district-level administrative units.

The Politburo and Secretariat have urged Party committees and organisations to promptly finalise the internal restructuring within agencies and units, ensuring alignment with Party organisations at all levels.

The process of restructuring and personnel arrangements must be conducted with fairness and objectivity, retaining capable personnel while preventing any disruptions to the organisation of Party congresses at all levels.

The grassroots-level Party congresses are scheduled for March 2025, with model congresses at the next administrative level planned for the early second quarter of 2025.

Additionally, plans should be developed for further restructuring at the commune level in line with the new organisational model, defining the structure, functions, responsibilities and authority of commune-level governance.

The Politburo has also set a direction for merging certain provincial administrative units and called for proposals to amend relevant laws and Party regulations, with a report due by the third quarter of 2025.

Currently, Việt Nam has a total of 63 provincial-level units, including 57 provinces and six centrally run cities.

As of June 30, 2024, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the country had 705 district-level and 10,595 commune-level administrative units.

The Politburo and Secretariat have tasked the Party Committee of the Government with overseeing the reorganisation of the inspection system, including directing the Party Committee of the Government Inspectorate and relevant agencies to swiftly finalise restructuring plans.

Leadership has also been instructed to review and reorganise Party organisations within State-owned enterprises, corporations and commercial banks. The restructuring aims to transfer Party organisations from corporations and enterprises under their own committees to local Party committees based on their operational locations. A report on this matter is to be submitted to the Secretariat by the end of the second quarter of 2025.

Furthermore, the Central Public Security Party Committee is responsible for leading and coordinating the implementation of a three-tier police structure, ensuring that no district-level police units are established.

The Party committees of central judicial agencies have been directed to lead research on restructuring the court and prosecution systems by eliminating the district-level intermediary tier.

They are also tasked with proposing necessary amendments to Party policies and state laws to facilitate these changes, with a report due to the Politburo by the second quarter of 2025.

This reform aims to modernise and improve the effectiveness of the people's courts and procuracies to meet the demands of judicial reform.

Additionally, the Politburo and Secretariat have assigned the Central Publicity and Mass Mobilisation Commission to study the feasibility of merging provincial radio and television stations with the official provincial Party newspapers.

The Central Military Commission has been directed to collaborate with the Central Organisation Commission, the Party Committees of the Government and the National Assembly, and relevant Party organisations to continue reorganising the military structure, including district-level military agencies.

Proposed amendments and policy revisions are to be submitted to the Politburo by the third quarter of 2025. — VNS