National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn with Heroic Vietnamese Mothers and delegates. — VNA/VNS Photo

CẦN THƠ — National Assembly (NA) Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn pledged support for the development of the Mekong Delta, with a particular focus on Cần Thơ City, during a meeting on April 26 with heroic Vietnamese mothers and former officials of central agencies, Military Region 9, Cần Thơ City, and Hậu Giang Province.

The event took place on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30, 1975–2025).

Reflecting on nearly four decades of Đổi Mới (renewal), Mẫn highlighted Việt Nam’s rise: a US$476 billion economy, per capita income nearing $4,700, and state budget revenues reaching VNĐ2 quadrillion ($76.8 billion).

Việt Nam now has diplomatic ties with nearly 200 countries, is one of the world’s 40 largest economies, and stands 32nd in the global nation brand rankings.

Looking ahead, he reiterated Việt Nam’s aspirations to become an upper-middle-income developing country by 2030, marking the Communist Party of Việt Nam’s centennial, and a high-income developed nation by 2045 – the country’s 100th anniversary. For 2025, Việt Nam targets at least 8 per cent economic growth, setting the stage for double-digit growth from 2026 to 2030.

At the heart of this vision lies a sweeping administrative overhaul. Mẫn announced plans to streamline Việt Nam’s governance structure, reducing the number of provinces and centrally-run cities to 28 and six, respectively.

Cần Thơ is set to merge with Hậu Giang and Sóc Trăng Provinces, forming a vibrant economic hub spanning 6,400 sq.km and serving over 4 million residents.

The NA’s upcoming 9th session is set to pass amendments to the Constitution. If approved, district-level administrative units will be dissolved by June 30. From now until the end of May 2025, the NA Standing Committee will work intensively to review the merger of commune-level administrative units, targeting a 60–70 per cent reduction from the current 10,035 communes.

Describing this restructuring as an unprecedented organisational revolution to boost efficiency, Chairman Mẫn called on heroic Vietnamese mothers and former leaders of central agencies, Military Region 9, and Cần Thơ and Hậu Giang to support this policy for national progress.

The Chairman also highlighted preparations for Party congresses at all levels this year in the run-up to the 14th National Party Congress in January 2026. Preparations are also underway for the election of deputies to the 16th NA and People’s Councils for the 2026–2031 term, scheduled for March 15, 2026.

At the meeting with Chairman Mẫn, Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Đỗ Thanh Bình affirmed that the city’s Party Organisation, authorities, and people would uphold their revolutionary traditions, foster unity, and drastically perform political tasks to establish Cần Thơ as a regional powerhouse.

Earlier on April 26, the top legislator visited and presented gifts to Hero of the People's Armed Forces and former member of the Cần Thơ special force Nguyễn Thị Vân, along with former Deputy Chief of the Staff of Military Region 9 and former member of the Cần Thơ special force Ung Thị Bé in Ninh Kiều District. — VNS