Merging Ho Chi Minh City: Redesigning the development strategy of the Southeast region

Rewriting the national development map

The merger of Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong Province and Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province into a new province still called Ho Chi Minh City is opening up a historic opportunity: The opportunity to form a metropolis that is not only large in scale, but also strong in development capacity and profound in management thinking. The new province will converge enough cultural depth, geographical breadth and height of aspiration.

Delegate Tran Hoang Ngan - Ho Chi Minh City Delegation

Pursuant to Resolution No. 125/NQ-CP dated May 9, 2025, the Government has approved the dossier of the Project on rearranging provincial-level administrative units in 2025 submitted by the Ministry of Home Affairs .

The new Ho Chi Minh City, based on the merger of three localities, promises to create a new megacity in the Southeast region by maximizing the natural, geographical and infrastructure advantages of the three localities.

General Secretary To Lam stated that the expansion of Ho Chi Minh City will not only be a matter of three localities but will also be more closely linked with Dong Nai, Tay Ninh, Dong Thap, Vinh Long, Can Tho, An Giang ... to "redesign the regional development strategy".

The expanded Ho Chi Minh City will play a core role, a driving force for the comprehensive development of the Southeast, Southwest, and more broadly the Central Highlands and South Central regions.

The city's development is closely linked and mutually supportive with the development of the provinces and cities in the region; Ho Chi Minh City not only "leads" but also closely connects, maximizing the complementary advantages of each other, building an inter-regional economic and cultural space, forming a new growth pole of regional and international stature.

Merge 1+1+1 equals 9

Sharing with reporters of Cong Thuong Newspaper on the sidelines of the National Assembly on May 24, commenting on the development potential of Ho Chi Minh City after the merger, delegate Tran Hoang Ngan (Ho Chi Minh City Delegation) said: Currently, Ho Chi Minh City has made strong changes in administrative reform and improving the investment environment.

Public administration centers and staff have changed from a purely administrative management mindset to a mindset of serving businesses and people. This is a fundamental change to promote the private economy and a more favorable business environment.

According to the announced information, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Binh Duong and Ho Chi Minh City will be merged into a new administrative unit, with an area of ​​over 67,773 km² and a population of over 13.7 million people. This will be one of 34 new provinces and cities in the country and still bear the name Ho Chi Minh City with a sacred mark and great expectations.

A corner of Cat Lai Port - Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Thu Huong

Delegate Ngan said that connecting localities in the Southern key economic region such as Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Binh Duong and Ho Chi Minh City is a strategic and scientific decision.

Ho Chi Minh City is currently a major center of finance, trade, services, science and technology, healthcare, and education in the country. This connection not only helps Ba Ria - Vung Tau maximize its advantages in seaports, international transit, and free trade, but also promotes Binh Duong as a national key industrial zone. When connected with Ho Chi Minh City, the center of logistics and finance, and with Ba Ria - Vung Tau international transit port and Can Gio port in the future, the fields of marine economy, logistics, and industry will be strongly developed.

Delegate Tran Hoang Ngan affirmed that this is a resonance of strength between the three localities, not simply the usual addition of 1 + 1 + 1 = 3, but a combination that can create many times more strength, equivalent to 9. This opens up great expectations in attracting investment, especially in Ba Ria - Vung Tau, where there is strong potential for development in trade, logistics, industry and free economic zones.

According to delegate Tran Hoang Ngan, after the merger, it is necessary to continue to delegate the authority to implement the current special mechanisms and policies of Ho Chi Minh City to the new Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh City must also grant autonomy to Binh Duong and Ba Ria - Vung Tau. Localities must have a mechanism to delegate initiative, to rely on each other to develop, not to restrain each other, not to go against the desire to create new space for development.

Thu Huong

Source: https://congthuong.vn/sap-nhap-tp-ho-chi-minh-tai-thiet-ke-chien-luoc-phat-trien-vung-dong-nam-bo-389262.html