Phú Quốc City in the southern province of Kiên Giang. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

HÀ NỘI — The Government has proposed converting 11 island districts into special zones under their respective provinces, namely Vân Đồn, Cô Tô, Cát Hải, Trường Sa, Hoàng Sa, Phú Quý, Kiên Hải, Bạch Long Vĩ, Cồn Cỏ, Lý Sơn and Côn Đảo.

The proposal, grounded in extensive research, aims to eliminate the intermediate district level and re-arrange commune-level administrative units to form new communes, wards, and special zones. This streamlined model seeks to bring administrations closer to residents, ensuring more responsive and efficient governance.

Under the restructuring plan, merged wards will retain their ward status, while consolidated communes or towns will be classified as communes. Notably, the Government has approved, in principle, separating Thổ Châu Commune from Phú Quốc City in the southern province of Kiên Giang. This is to establish Thổ Châu as a standalone district, paving the way for both Phú Quốc and Thổ Châu to become special zones.

Exemptions from mandatory restructuring apply to geographically isolated commune-level units, those with limited connectivity, or areas critical to national defence, security, and sovereignty.

The provincial People’s Committees are tasked with developing tailored restructuring plans to reduce commune-level units nationwide by 60-70 per cent. The plans must reflect the unique characteristics of each locality, whether rural or urban, coastal or island, mountainous, highland, border region, or ethnic minority area.

After the rearrangement, wards in centrally-run cities will have a minimum population of 45,000, while those in mountainous, highland, or border areas will have at least 15,000 residents. Other wards must have 21,000 or more residents and a minimum natural area of 5.5 square kilometres.

The mergence involving three or more commune-level units into a single commune or ward will be exempt from criteria evaluations. — VNA/VNS