In two days, the National Assembly will finalize the merger of 34 provinces and cities.

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man said that on June 12, delegates will discuss and vote on the plan to merge provincial-level administrative units. If the National Assembly agrees to approve it, the resolution will be signed the following day.

This morning, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly gave its opinion on the acceptance, explanation, and revision of the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Planning Law (draft law).

On June 12th, the merger of provinces was finalized, and the Planning Law was amended to streamline the administrative apparatus.

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man raised the question: The Planning Law has been amended many times, "but why do localities still complain about obstacles, and where are these obstacles?", "Are the obstacles due to unclear laws or decrees?"

He emphasized that this merger of provinces and cities is expected to facilitate the implementation of the Planning Law. Therefore, he suggested that from now until the draft law is passed, the opinions of the chairmen of the provinces and cities subject to merger should be sought through various means.

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man delivered a speech this morning. Photo: National Assembly

According to the Speaker of the National Assembly, whatever problems existed before, these must be fundamentally resolved this time.

"At the 9th session, the amendment to the Planning Law aimed to streamline and reorganize the administrative apparatus. If we amend and create a law that cannot be implemented, it will be very difficult," Mr. Man noted.

He also requested input from members of the National Assembly Standing Committee, in addition to the opinions of National Assembly deputies, in the spirit of "addressing difficulties wherever they arise and clearing blockages wherever they occur." He noted that immediate action is needed to facilitate the merger of provinces and cities.

According to the Speaker of the National Assembly, at the second session of the 9th National Assembly meeting on June 12th, the proposal to merge provincial-level administrative units will be discussed and voted on. If the National Assembly approves it, a resolution merging 34 provinces and cities will be signed the following day.

"Therefore, this revised Planning Law is extremely important," the Speaker of the National Assembly emphasized.

He stated that although National Assembly representatives did not participate in the discussion, the process of directing and managing from the central to local levels still required addressing planning issues. Even after establishing a supervisory team to monitor the implementation of the Planning Law, and following a resolution to resolve the issues after reporting back to the National Assembly, local authorities still claimed difficulties and were unable to implement the plan.

Citing lessons learned from amending the Health Insurance Law, the Chairman of the National Assembly stated that when problems were identified and the law was persistently amended, the people were extremely pleased. This is because the amendments have resolved and simplified procedures for transferring hospitals, referrals, and obtaining referral letters.

He argued that through group discussions, especially regarding issues raised by local authorities, feedback must be incorporated for amendment, stating, "Whatever difficulties the local authorities encounter, we must address them within this law..."

Further research will be conducted to submit fundamental amendments to the National Assembly following the merger of provinces and cities.

In his explanation at the session, Minister of Finance Nguyen Van Thang stated that the Planning Law passed by the National Assembly has fundamentally and comprehensively changed previous laws. However, the implementation process is hampered because all 63 provinces and cities are involved in developing their own plans, while there are not many consultants available.

"Many areas didn't meet the requirements, so we encountered problems when we started implementing the plan..." - Mr. Thang said.

Minister of Finance Nguyen Van Thang. Photo: National Assembly

He clarified that the Planning Law has never been fundamentally amended. This time, the amendment is due to the requirements of changes in administrative boundaries, the merger of provinces, and the shift of local governments from a three-tiered to a two-tiered system.

The minister stated that after the merger is completed, a comprehensive revision of the Planning Law will certainly be necessary, possibly at the 10th session or the first session of the new National Assembly term.

Following the questioning, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man asked: "This time, the amendments are in line with the spirit of Resolution 127. The Minister commits that the localities will be able to implement them, right?"

He also suggested that, upon finalizing the incorporation process, the Minister of Finance should consult with the localities involved to identify any additional content that needs revision; assess the compatibility between different types of plans; and review the provisions of relevant laws...

Minister Nguyen Van Thang stated that the draft law had been submitted to local authorities twice for feedback and received high levels of consensus, particularly regarding the adjustment of decentralization and delegation of power.

The Ministry of Finance has completed the draft decree and is currently seeking feedback from ministries, sectors, and localities for approval by the National Assembly, with timely promulgation starting from July 1st.

"When mergers occur, the strategies of the localities will also change, especially in terms of development space. When the localities adopt the new model, the Government will continue to study it to submit to the National Assembly for fundamental amendments to this law," the Minister affirmed.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/quoc-hoi-se-chot-sap-nhap-34-tinh-thanh-vao-ngay-12-6-2409901.html