Photo shows a corner of Hạ Long City in the northern-eastern province of Quảng Ninh.— VNA/VNS Photo Hoàng Hiếu

HÀ NỘI — Eleven provincial administrative units remain unchanged in the massive nationwide restructuring, the Ministry of Home Affairs has proposed.

These units consist of Hà Nội City, Huế City, Lai Châu, Điện Biên, Sơn La, Cao Bằng, Lạng Sơn, Quảng Ninh, Thanh Hóa, Nghệ An, and Hà Tĩnh provinces.

This proposal is part of a draft resolution that outlines six criteria for the reorganisation of provincial and commune-level administrative units approved by the Politburo. 

The criteria include natural area size, population scale, criteria concerning history, tradition, culture, religion and ethnicity, economic geography (which includes geographic location, economic scale and development level), geopolitical criteria, as well as national defence and security considerations.

Per the criteria, the abovementioned 11 localities are eligible, while 52 localities, including four major cities, Hải Phòng, HCM City, Đà Nẵng, and Cần Thơ, and the remaining 48 provinces, will be subjected to changes.

The draft resolution specifies that reorganisation will not be carried out for administrative units that are isolated, have difficult access to transportation links, or have strategic importance that affects national defence, security, and sovereignty. 

The ministry has also proposed that the state budget provide one-time budgetary support to provinces and cities that are currently receiving additional financial support.  

The proposed support is VNĐ100 billion (US$3.9 million) for each reduced provincial-level administrative unit after mergers and VNĐ500 million ($19,500) for each reduced commune-level unit.

Following the completion of the reorganisation process in 2025, the Government will present a specific budget allocation to the National Assembly for approval in the 2026 State budget.

Priorities

Priority will be given to reorganising administrative units in mountainous and rural areas alongside coastal units, ensuring a balanced and rational combination of neighbouring provinces and cities in line with developmental priorities.

The approach aims to promote mutual support, facilitating joint economic development.

The ministry said the reorganisation of administrative units at all levels, in addition to the six outlined criteria, aims to achieve the highest goal of national development, expanding the scope of development for newly restructured units.

This will leverage the guiding role of dynamic regions and economic corridors.

The ministry has also proposed principles for determining the location of administrative-political centres in restructured provinces.

The administrative-political centre of the new unit should be selected from one of the existing provincial-level units to ensure the local administration can operate smoothly and stabilise quickly.

The new centre should be geographically advantageous. It should have comprehensive economic and social infrastructure, particularly well-developed transportation systems, and be easily accessible to other parts of the province and major urban economic centres. 

The new centre should have the potential for future development, aligning with the economic and social development orientation of the new administrative unit. It should also ensure harmony and balance between merging regions and safeguard national defence and security. 

Local Party and administration authorities must work together to build consensus and ensure the cooperation of local communities.

Following the reorganisation, it is expected that the number of provincial administrative units will be reduced by approximately 50 per cent of the current 63 provinces and cities, while the number of commune-level administrative units will decrease by around 70 per cent from 10,035 units, to fewer than 3,000.— VNS