Hà Nội wants to develop a new urban administration model for a more efficient and effective governance, Secretary of the Hà Nội Party Committee Hoàng Trung Hải said.— Photo kinhtedothi.vn

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội wants to develop a new urban administration model for a more efficient and effective governance, Secretary of the Hà Nội Party Committee Hoàng Trung Hải said.

The capital city is drafting a plan on new urban administration model and expects to submit it to the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) in December.

Last year, the Political Bureau approved to pilot a new urban administration model in Hà Nội. The model would be simplified from the current one and still ensure the administration protects the people’s rights and obligations.

Speaking at a workshop yesterday seeking experts’ contributions to the draft plan, Hải said the new urban administration model must help meet citizens’ demands and increase status of the capital city.

E-Government was also part of the model.

“The score of the model is how to increase the autonomy decentralisation and improve performance of public administrative system,” he said, adding that once the model was applied, public administrative services would be decentralised to lower levels so that citizens can easily access e-government and use online public services.

Under the latest draft, Hà Nội introduced two options on new urban administration model.

In option 1, there will no longer be People’s Council at commune and ward level (known as the lowest legislature). Instead, there will be People’s Committee – commonly known as law enforcement authority. People’s Council and People’s Committee at district and city level remain the same.

If this option is chosen, People’s Council of wards will be abolished in 2021 and the People’s Council of communes will be abolished in 2023.

In option 2, only at city level, the People’s Council will be kept. People’s Councils at district and ward/commune levels can be abolished. If this option is chosen, there will be big changes for the administrative system at the commune/ward and district levels as well as public employees and officials working there. Thus, this option must be accompanied with changes in legal documents to match with the restructuring.

Currently, the duo People’s Council and People’s Committee exist at all levels from commune/ward to district/town and city. The capital city of Hà Nội has 29 districts and one town, under which, there are 386 communes and 177 wards.

Associate Professor and Doctor Lê Minh Thông, secretary of National Assembly chairwoman, said urban administration must be organised but responsibilities of every single position must be clarified to better serve citizens.

Phùng Hữu Phú, vice chairman of CPV’s Central Theoretical Council suggested that it is time for Hà Nội to develop a model on smart city management.

“When it comes to urban management today, it’s not about decentralisation but about increasing connectivity between municipal governments with local governments at lower levels,” he said. — VNS