Ho Chi Minh City viewed from above - Photo: VAN TRUNG
Tuổi Trẻ newspaper sought opinions from several experts and National Assembly representatives regarding the advantages of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City being proposed as special urban areas.
Representative Tran Anh Tuan (Ho Chi Minh City):
A law specifically for special urban areas.
The proposal to designate Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City as special urban areas is a timely step. The longer it is delayed, the more restrictive the "institutional framework" for all localities will become, limiting the development potential of the two largest economic and cultural centers in the country.
Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have long transcended the boundaries of a typical first-tier city. With their population size, economic power, and role as international trade hubs, both cities possess unique characteristics not found in other localities.
However, when Ho Chi Minh City wants to proactively mobilize capital for infrastructure, it still has to wait for the "request-and-grant" mechanism.
Hanoi needs to both preserve its historical and cultural spaces and pursue modern development, but lacks a sufficiently flexible legal framework to handle this harmoniously.
If a law specifically for special urban areas were enacted, the two cities would have a legal framework to proactively manage resources and innovate in governance. This would not only remove long-standing constraints but also strengthen investor confidence, opening up opportunities to mobilize large amounts of capital for infrastructure development.
On the other hand, urban authorities in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City will have the opportunity to experiment with streamlined models, apply digital technology in management, build smart governments, and recruit and utilize human resources according to new standards.
A separate law would also help to more clearly define the strategic roles of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in national development. These two cities should not only be seen as "major localities" but also as key growth poles, leading engines of development, connecting and spreading growth.
Therefore, the policy is not simply about facilitating the development of special urban areas, but first and foremost about assigning more responsibilities: the responsibility to lead reforms, the responsibility to share resources, and the responsibility to address the complex issues of a megacity such as migration, the environment, transportation, and social welfare.
Architect Ngo Anh Vu (Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Institute of Construction Planning):
Special mechanisms are needed for special urban areas.
For many years, Ho Chi Minh City, along with Hanoi, has been designated as one of the two special urban areas in the country. Now, after reorganization, Ho Chi Minh City has expanded in scale. The complex management nature of a special urban area necessitates comprehensive urban spatial planning.
Along with that, the system of urban regulations, standards, and indicators in all aspects (healthcare, education, environment, amenities, level of service for citizens, etc.) also requires higher standards and greater consistency when investing in urban construction and development.
Compared to other cities, special urban areas require a much larger volume of work and the responsibilities of the state management apparatus are also greater.
Most importantly, for development requirements, the mechanisms and policies must be suitable for special urban areas. Hanoi has had the Capital City Law in recent years. As for Ho Chi Minh City, through various periods, the central government has provided favorable conditions for development through special policies via resolutions 54 and 98, and currently, there are proposals to amend and supplement resolution 98.
The government has been very interested in implementing more decentralization and delegation of authority to provide Ho Chi Minh City with more tools and space for proactive development.
In the long term, it is also necessary to develop a special Urban Law to create a clear legal framework, giving localities more autonomy in implementing policies for urban development. This policy has also been considered by the Government.
Lawyer Bui Quoc Tuan (Ho Chi Minh City Bar Association):
Elevate the special policy to a Law on Special Cities.
Since Ho Chi Minh City received its special resolution (Resolution 98), numerous legal documents have been issued for the city to apply. Typical examples include Decree 07/2024 (detailing the election, recruitment, use, and management of officials and civil servants working at the commune, town, and ward levels in Ho Chi Minh City); Decree 11/2024 (regulating interest rates, reasonable profits, payment methods, and settlement of investment projects under BT contracts; exemption from corporate income tax and personal income tax in Ho Chi Minh City); Decree 84/2024 (piloting the decentralization of state management in some areas to the Ho Chi Minh City government); and Prime Minister's Decision 20/2023 piloting the decentralization of planning adjustments for Ho Chi Minh City...
At the same time, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council also based its decisions on Resolution 98 to issue many specific resolutions for the city government's operations.
As can be seen from Resolution 98, related decrees have been issued quite quickly by ministries, the Government, and Ho Chi Minh City in coordination with relevant agencies, facilitating Ho Chi Minh City in addressing requirements for state management and investment development.
It is evident that, based on the above regulations, Ho Chi Minh City has supplemented personnel for the commune and ward administrations; decentralized and delegated authority in compensation, land clearance, resettlement, and planning adjustments; and decentralized and delegated authority in investment, finance, budget, transportation, health, and education.
However, specific policies for Ho Chi Minh City are still only in the pilot phase. At the same time, these exceptional and unique policies still face limitations and bottlenecks because they must still be developed and implemented according to existing procedures.
If there were a Law on Special Urban Areas, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, or any other province or city (that is elevated to the status of a special urban area) could use it as a basis for more direct, rapid, and proactive application.
Therefore, in the upcoming implementation of Resolution 98 in Ho Chi Minh City, we hope that the relevant authorities will summarize the findings and consider elevating it to a Law on Special Urban Areas to better suit the new development requirements.
The designation of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City as special urban areas and the move towards developing separate laws for them is not intended to grant special privileges, but rather to remove constraints, promote their leading role, and transform their advantages into driving forces for national development.
When laws are scientifically formulated, transparent, and accountable, special urban areas will not just be a designation but will truly become a national advantage.
National Assembly representative Tran Anh Tuan
Tuoitre.vn
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ha-noi-tp-hcm-loi-the-gi-neu-thanh-do-thi-dac-biet-20250921090437913.htm
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