Delegates attend the opening of HCM City’s fifth special session of the People’s Council on Friday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — The HCM City People’s Council on Friday (November 14) opened its fifth special session to review major policy proposals and approve key leadership appointments as Việt Nam’s largest city moves to finalise its 2025 targets and set development directions for 2026.

The session, held by the 10th-tenure council, will deliberate 43 policy items covering mechanisms for socio-economic development, administrative reforms, budget allocation, public investment and urban planning.

Lawmakers will also vote on several senior positions within the People’s Council and the People’s Committee.

Võ Văn Minh, chairman of HCM City People's Council, said the meeting carries “critical importance” as the city continues operating under a streamlined two-tier governance model following administrative restructuring.

Decisions made at this session will help translate national-level resolutions into concrete local actions and shape pathways for HCM City to strengthen its role as a regional centre for economics, finance, technology and culture, he said.

The city has achieved “notable progress” in recent months, particularly in social welfare and the functioning of the new governance model, he added.

Challenges

However, Minh acknowledged a series of challenges: slow disbursement of public investment, long-standing bottlenecks in transport and urban infrastructure, and limited mobilisation of private-sector resources.

Several existing regulations have become outdated following the administrative reorganisation and require urgent review to ensure consistency and effective implementation across the city, he said.

During the one-day session, lawmakers will debate measures across sectors including social security, education and training, healthcare, environmental management, decentralisation of resources, urban development and improvements in public-sector governance.

The package of decisions is expected to remove long-standing obstacles and create a stronger institutional foundation for the city’s next phase of growth from 2026 onward.

In addition to policy discussions, the municipal People’s Council will also conduct personnel votes to consolidate leadership positions, ensuring coherent management and meeting the city’s increasingly complex development needs.

The special session is scheduled to conclude later the same day, with city leaders expressing hope that the decisions will accelerate growth momentum and improve the quality of life for more than 10 million residents. — VNS