Delegate Nguyen Hai Nam proposed streamlining the planning level system. Photo: City National Assembly Delegation

Restructuring planning content in a streamlined direction

Participating in the discussion, delegate Nguyen Hai Nam (National Assembly Delegation of Hue City) proposed that first of all, the planning level system should be streamlined, unifying it into two levels: Zoning planning and detailed planning for both urban and rural areas.

According to Mr. Nam, reducing the number of levels will avoid overlapping content, reduce adjustment procedures, shorten project preparation time and reduce social costs.

Delegate Nguyen Hai Nam also proposed to review the subjects required to make detailed plans, to avoid duplication with technical designs and basic designs. In fact, many current detailed plans overlap with technical documents, prolonging the appraisal time and making administrative procedures more cumbersome.

The second content emphasized by Mr. Nam is to supplement regulations on planning at the ward level, the level directly managing urban space, but currently there is no corresponding planning type. This makes the ward lack legal tools to manage construction order, urban embellishment and implement decentralization and authorization. Clearly defining the requirements, scope and planning types at the ward level will increase proactiveness and management effectiveness.

Regarding the relationship between functional area planning and specialized planning, delegate Nguyen Hai Nam proposed clarifying the scope and objectives of functional area planning, ensuring consistency with specialized planning (tourism, agriculture , culture, energy, etc.). There are currently many overlaps, such as urban planning with irrigation planning or residential planning with energy planning.

Mr. Nam said that the current planning content is still "too heavy on technical parameters", while many fields already have specialized standards. Delegates proposed restructuring the planning content in a streamlined direction, only regulating spatial orientation, main infrastructure, land use and development models; not "project planning", not including a specific project list in the planning to avoid rigidity, making it difficult to attract investment. This viewpoint aims to simplify the process of establishment - appraisal - approval, reduce costs, in line with the spirit of administrative procedure reform and development requirements as directed by the General Secretary and the Prime Minister.

Decentralization must be accompanied by criteria, capacity and monitoring mechanisms.

Speaking at the meeting, delegate Nguyen Thi Suu, Deputy Head of the Hue City National Assembly Delegation, expressed agreement with many draft contents but said that the most important point is the relationship between planning construction and implementation.

Ms. Suu emphasized: "Good construction leads to good implementation; and implementation is the measure of legal construction."

Regarding the decentralization of planning responsibilities, the draft allows the Provincial People's Committee to decentralize to functional area management agencies and commune-level People's Committees. According to Ms. Suu, this is the right direction, but lacks assignment criteria and regulations on minimum capacity of assigned units. Without a clear coordination mechanism, the risk of overlap, conflict of responsibilities and errors in planning organization is very high. Ms. Suu proposed adding criteria on professional human resources, information technology capacity, and data accessibility; at the same time, assign the Government to issue detailed regulations on coordination between agencies.

Regarding the approval of communal-level master plans, the draft assigns this authority to the People's Committee at the communal level but does not include sufficient conditions such as specialized apparatus, certified personnel, digital infrastructure, etc. Delegate Nguyen Thi Suu proposed requiring appraisal before approval by a provincial-level professional agency, and the Provincial People's Committee must assess the commune's capacity before decentralizing; at the same time, it is still legally responsible if the communal plan violates a higher-level plan.

Regarding zoning and detailed functional area planning, the draft allows functional area management agencies to independently prepare and approve, but does not stipulate a coordination mechanism with local authorities and a monitoring mechanism. Ms. Suu proposed adding the appraisal responsibility of provincial-level professional agencies and clearly defining the coordination model to ensure that functional area planning does not go against the general direction.

Regarding local planning adjustments, delegates proposed clearly defining conditions, scope, and procedures to avoid abuse or conflicts with higher-level planning; public opinion must be sought, with provincial-level appraisal, and approval by the Provincial People's Council before approval.

In addition, Ms. Suu proposed to add three contents: Regulations on reviewing planning periodically every 5 years, ensuring adaptation to practical fluctuations, especially in the context of climate change. Supplementing a mandatory feedback mechanism for community opinions, publicizing the reception and explanation. Clearly defining the legal responsibility of the Provincial People's Committee in monitoring planning, even when decentralizing power to communes or functional area management agencies, avoiding "blank assignment".

“Decentralization and delegation of power are the right trends, but we must ensure legality, consistency, planning quality and connection with practice, so that the planning system becomes scientific, transparent and effective in the context of new administrative organization and new development era,” Ms. Suu emphasized.

Tighten planning adjustment mechanism

On the same morning, during the discussion session in the hall on the Draft Law on Planning (amended), Deputy Head of the Delegation of National Assembly Deputies of Hue City Nguyen Thi Suu also made many comments. Notably, Ms. Suu emphasized the need to tighten the mechanism of planning assessment and adjustment to ensure planning is stable, transparent and not arbitrarily adjusted.

Delegates proposed to stipulate the first assessment in the second year of the planning period to detect shortcomings early, avoiding waiting until the fifth year to summarize. The assessment must be based on quantitative criteria such as project completion rate, level of achievement of development goals, land use rate, and ability to meet people's needs. The assessment results must be made public locally for people to monitor and respond.

Regarding planning adjustments, delegates requested clarification of responsibilities: the planning agency must explain in writing all proposed adjustments; the approving agency must fully consult with ministries, branches and localities; the appraisal council plays an independent role in checking the legality and reasonableness. The adjustment principle must ensure that the overall development goals are not changed, except in special situations such as natural disasters or epidemics.

Delegates also proposed adding two important bases for adjustment: legitimate feedback from the community and requirements for international integration in the fields of environment, energy, and digital infrastructure.

For procedures, it is necessary to set clear deadlines: 60 days for appraisal, 30 days for approval, 15 days for publication; in urgent cases, completion within 30 days. With adjustments according to the simplified procedure, delegates proposed a post-audit within 12 months to prevent abuse.

According to delegates, these additions will help the Law on Planning become a strong enough legal framework, meeting the requirements of development governance in the new period.

Le Tho

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/chinh-tri-xa-hoi/theo-dong-thoi-su/go-chong-cheo-tang-phan-cap-bao-dam-tinh-kha-thi-160429.html