Preparing for the “revolution”

On May 25, 2025, the Politburo issued Conclusion 157-KL/TW, implementing the resolutions and conclusions of the Central Committee and the Politburo on the reorganization of administrative apparatus and units. The completion of the reorganization at the commune level is required before July 15, and at the provincial level before August 15, 2025. This "revolution" will take place in the next few weeks. During this phase, the workload is enormous and needs to be carried out simultaneously and synchronously.

Báo An Giang•29/05/2025

People's Councils at all levels have passed numerous resolutions on mergers.

Institutions come first.

The 9th session of the 15th National Assembly is of historical significance, representing a breakthrough in institutional reform to usher in an era of modernization, digitalization, greening, and sustainable development. In particular, the draft Law on the Organization of Local Government (amended) institutionalizes the guiding principles of the Central Committee, the Politburo , and the Secretariat on the organization of local government according to a two-tier model (provincial and commune levels). It further promotes decentralization between central and local government agencies; and between provincial and commune-level local governments based on the principle of "local authorities decide, local authorities act, local authorities are responsible," to foster the initiative and creativity of local governments at all levels and unlock all resources for development.

National Assembly delegates unanimously agreed with the fundamental and comprehensive amendment of the current Law on Organization of Local Government, contributing to the smooth and effective operation of localities after reorganization. In the context of reorganizing and expanding the scale of commune-level administrative units, and strengthening the tasks and powers of commune-level local governments, building a specialized and professional apparatus is truly necessary, in line with the central government's directives and the practical realities of the current context.

Ms. Tran Thi Thanh Huong, Head of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department of the An Giang Provincial Party Committee and Head of the An Giang Provincial National Assembly Delegation, suggested that provincial-level authorities should support commune-level authorities in carrying out tasks transferred from the district level. “In the context of not having a district-level administration, the workload of commune-level authorities will increase significantly. This is a major change, while the organizational capacity of local government at all levels is not yet truly uniform. Therefore, provincial-level authorities need to be responsible for monitoring, supervising, and providing timely support and solutions in cases where the authorities in some commune-level administrative units are unable to perform, or perform ineffectively, their assigned tasks and powers. In addition, she proposed that the Central Government should soon issue regulations on the functions and tasks of the new commune-level authorities.”

Representative Tran Thi Thanh Huong contributed to the amendment of the law.

Seeking public opinion on amending the Constitution

According to the plan of the Committee for Drafting Amendments to the 2013 Constitution, the process of soliciting opinions from the people and various levels and sectors on the draft Resolution amending and supplementing certain articles of the 2013 Constitution will be conducted for one month, from May 6th to June 5th. According to a report from the Ministry of Public Security, as of the afternoon of May 22nd, 10.7 million citizens had contributed opinions via the VNeID application, with nearly 71 million comments, of which 99.9% were in favor. By the afternoon of May 24th, approximately 14 million people had participated in providing feedback.

From May 12th, the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee directed the Standing Committee of the Provincial People's Committee to publish documents for public consultation on the amendment and supplementation of some articles of the 2013 Constitution on the official local electronic information portal; and to preside over and coordinate with the Provincial People's Council, the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee, and the Provincial National Assembly Delegation to organize the collection of opinions through appropriate forms.

With approximately one week remaining until the public consultation period ends, the Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department requests that agencies, units, and localities analyze and clarify the amendments and additions to certain articles of the Constitution, focusing on two main groups of content. The first group concerns regulations related to the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) and socio-political organizations (Articles 9 and 10), aiming to streamline the apparatus, enhance the role, responsibility, and initiative of the VFF, its role in uniting classes and strata, and strongly orient towards residential areas, being close to the people, and reaching every household. The second group concerns the regulations in Chapter 9, implementing a two-tiered model of local government organization.

“We propose continuing to intensify widespread propaganda among the people through various forms (via mass media, activities of mass organizations, community activities, activities of reporters and propagandists, VNeID application, etc.). Through this, we can promote the people's right to self-governance, mobilize their intellect and dedication, and create high consensus and unity among the entire population, ensuring that the Constitution accurately reflects the will and aspirations of the people. The propaganda and mobilization process must be linked to monitoring and understanding the ideological situation and sentiments of cadres, Party members, and all strata of the people; combating and refuting harmful and toxic information, erroneous and hostile viewpoints, especially on the internet, related to this issue,” suggested Nguyen Manh Ha, Deputy Head of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department of the An Giang Provincial Party Committee.

Cadres and Party members study and thoroughly understand the policies on restructuring the administrative apparatus and merging administrative units.

Strengthening consensus

Nearly six months into 2025, preparations have been underway for the merger and reorganization of administrative units at all levels. The most significant change is the elimination of district-level administrative units. At the end of May, People's Councils at all levels held specialized sessions to address issues within their authority, primarily concerning the adjustment of the 2025 state budget estimates, resulting from the policy of reorganizing commune-level administrative units and abolishing the district level.

During a recent dialogue and meeting with voters in Chau Doc City, Lam Quang Thi, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee and Secretary of the Chau Doc City Party Committee, shared many insights into the significance of this reorganization. Firstly, the functions and responsibilities at the ward level will increase, making it easier for residents to contact relevant authorities without having to go to the district or provincial level as before. Eliminating intermediaries, especially in procedures related to daily life, will bring the ward closer to the people, allowing for quicker resolution of their concerns. Secondly, it will reduce the cumbersome administrative apparatus, correspondingly reducing the number of employees (by 60-70%). Thirdly, the new administrative unit will be larger, offering better space for development.

“Of course, the initial stage will inevitably have obstacles, difficulties, and setbacks, but these will certainly be gradually resolved. The Party and the State will continue to supplement and improve institutions and laws at each stage. Cadres, especially at the grassroots level, still have concerns and anxieties. However, for now, we will try to maintain the stability of the system, and after 5 years, we will gradually filter and adjust it into a structured framework. We sincerely hope that the people will grasp the information, support the policy, and accompany this process,” Comrade Lam Quang Thi emphasized.

Not only are officials, civil servants, and employees particularly interested in this process, but the general public is also following the latest information daily. Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Trang (residing in Tan Chau town) expressed: “My family has three children who are civil servants at the provincial level, all of whom are married and have stable homes in Long Xuyen City. When I heard about the merger and the new administrative center in Rach Gia City (Kien Giang province), I was very worried, fearing that my children would experience job disruptions and have to start over. However, my children all shared that everything will proceed according to plan, and they have had some time to prepare mentally, arrange their work and family before the new system officially takes operation. My husband and I are also trying to arrange household chores and help look after our young grandchildren. I hope my children will find new paths for development and adapt quickly to this new process.”

Take steps to address the policy issues.

Government Decree 178/2024/ND-CP, dated December 31, 2024 (amended and supplemented by Decree 67/2025/ND-CP, dated March 15, 2025), stipulates policies and regulations for officials, civil servants, public employees, and members of the armed forces in the implementation of the organizational restructuring of the political system. The Provincial Party Standing Committee directed a survey of individual aspirations regarding the organizational restructuring. Currently, the Provincial Party Organization Committee requests that, based on the surveyed aspirations of officials, agencies, units, and localities implement and prepare dossiers proposing the implementation of policies and regulations on early retirement and termination of employment for officials, civil servants, public employees, and workers in accordance with the two aforementioned decrees.

Initially, agencies, units, and localities will implement a system for officials, civil servants, and employees under their management to submit applications expressing their preferences; these applications will be compiled and reported to higher authorities. Simultaneously, statistics will be compiled on individuals needing official housing, rental housing, or transportation assistance to work in Kien Giang province after the provincial merger.

The Party Committee of the Ministry of Interior, in coordination with relevant agencies and units, shall urgently advise on the issuance or issue, within its authority, relevant regulations and guidelines on the standards for civil servant positions at the commune and special zone levels, and plans for professional training and development; and on the regime and policies to support part-time workers at the commune level, to be completed before June 15th.