'Rearranging the country' to enable the nation to rise again.

"Reorganizing the country" means we are embarking on new paths, new journeys. Therefore, using our existing experience, each person must renew their skills in the process of performing their duties.

Dr. Cu Van Trung believes that reorganizing the country is necessary for the nation to thrive in the new era. (Photo: CGCC)

Leading the nation with its inherent strength.

From July 1, 2025, 34 provinces and cities nationwide will officially operate a two-tiered local government system, comprising provincial and commune levels, after a trial period. This will be a significant historical milestone in the administrative reform process.

The strategic significance and scope of this step for Vietnam's long-term development lies not only in streamlining the administrative apparatus but also in achieving stronger growth.

A nation that knows how to harness the strength of its people to meet the demands of the new era is a courageous and heroic nation. Here, we can be completely proud of the communists currently in power in Vietnam. Our Party is carrying out a revolutionary reform of the political system model.

Based on what has been demonstrated over the past period, we can be completely proud of the Party and the current Vietnamese leaders because of their progressive and innovative thinking. In this new era, every nation and people must redefine itself and define its values. This means that our nation is reviving the country, and our Party is leading the Vietnamese people with the inherent strength and capabilities of the Vietnamese people.

People often talk about the "too tight garment" of institutional reform to expand development space, giving localities room and opportunities to thrive. I believe that's true, but not sufficient. A more valuable aspect, rarely mentioned, is the disintegration of vested interest groups.

Numerous studies have shown that, given enough time, with mastery of tactics and the maintenance of a system model for too long, slow reforms and unprofessional power control will create fertile ground and a favorable environment for opportunists and vested interest groups... Therefore, this revolution has no place for hesitation or opportunism; all changes must aim to serve the interests of the people, as General Secretary To Lam has repeatedly stated.

"New territory" for breakthroughs

Changes in administrative boundaries and personnel structure will undoubtedly bring both opportunities and challenges. In reality, there are many significant opportunities that merged administrative units can seize to achieve breakthroughs. The greatest opportunity lies in the autonomy and accountability within the decentralization and delegation of power mechanisms that our Party advocates and directs.

With human resources, manpower, resources, and capital within the population, each locality is a treasure trove of potential, and the central government entrusts this initiative to local authorities, provinces, and cities to unlock and exploit it for development.

The opportunity lies there: provinces that can leverage their strengths and demonstrate their dynamism and capabilities; eliminating the bureaucratic, cumbersome, and multi-layered system that makes accountability difficult. Now, the administrative apparatus is more streamlined, the workforce is of higher quality, and the budget and resources within the people are more readily available. These are "new territories" for officials to break through, lead the people, and ensure that each province and city will develop further.

However, alongside these achievements, there are also key challenges that need to be identified and effectively addressed to ensure stability and sustainable development.

The challenges here are two-pronged. One is the challenge in operating the new two-tiered local government model. We can call this a challenge of ongoing, micro-level quality. This includes difficulties in synchronizing, consolidating, and perfecting the procedures, mechanisms, and policies of various tasks, sectors, and levels. There are also difficulties in understanding the local area and geography for management, stabilizing operations, and grasping the culture, customs, and unique characteristics, as well as the limitations and strengths of the locality, for leaders, managers, and civil servants…

The larger, more macro-level challenges have been identified and pointed out by the Party leader, who has also outlined measures to garner public consensus, emphasizing the necessity of calling for national unity in this endeavor.

Numerous concerns, disagreements, and conflicts of interest exist at various levels. These psychological states, to varying degrees, create obstacles and challenges, and even lead to opposition from interest groups and hostile forces, posing significant risks at the macro level to our Party.

In addition to mastering the tools of the proletarian dictatorship (the armed forces) to simultaneously carry out political and economic reforms, the Party paid close attention to mobilizing and employing soft factors to call for unity among all strata of the people and social forces.

Citizens go through administrative procedures on the first day of the new model's operation. (Photo: Luu Huong)

Localities adapt and leverage advantages after mergers.

For the merger process to be successful and truly "the beginning of a new era of development," the State needs specific mechanisms and policies to support localities in adapting and leveraging their advantages after the merger. The role of arranging, training, and developing the workforce of officials and civil servants to meet the requirements of the new phase is also a crucial factor.

Laws are also gradually being amended to include provisions and considerations for specific localities and special zones. The term "special zone," which has been frequently mentioned recently, reflects this thinking and ideology of our Party. Where greater openness and more flexible mechanisms are needed, and where localities meet the criteria and standards for special status, policies, scenarios, and development models should be developed and submitted to higher levels, including the Central Committee and the National Assembly, for consideration and approval.

"Now, with a more streamlined administrative apparatus, higher-quality human resources, and more readily available budgets and potential within the people, these are 'new territories' for officials to break through, lead the people, and ensure that each province and city will develop further."

Our Party consistently emphasizes the role of localities with phrases such as "local authorities decide, local authorities act, local authorities take responsibility," naturally based on the Party and State's guidelines, mechanisms, policies, and legal regulations.

The issue of officials within the two-tiered local government model has also attracted public attention. Questions have been raised about the quality and effectiveness of this workforce after the merger and reorganization. I believe that everyone must learn as they go, receive training simultaneously, like "running and queuing at the same time."

We are embarking on new paths, new journeys. Therefore, drawing on existing experience, every official and every citizen must renew their skills in the process of performing their duties. The process of training and developing officials is a two-way process. The Ministry of Interior and political schools develop curricula and learning materials from practical experience and from the grassroots. It is the officials themselves who must renew and contribute to this professional training.

In this revolutionary political reform, metaphorically speaking, the country's leaders are also very skillful in having to "play chess and carve pieces at the same time." If we only rely on training and development programs from the Central Government, the Ministry of Interior, and schools, each official will not truly "transform." Therefore, along with waiting for training, each official and specialist should provide feedback and suggestions to the competent training and development agencies regarding the process of perfecting the model of the two-tiered government system.

The merger of administrative units aims towards a prosperous, happy, and sustainable Vietnam. There will be specific impacts on the lives of people in the merged localities, particularly in the economic, cultural, and social spheres. The key is to ensure that people benefit maximally from this process and work together to build a better future.

We are beginning to see the advantages of the two-tiered government model becoming apparent. From issuing land ownership certificates and construction permits to notarization and other administrative procedures, everything is very quick, clear, and transparent. The people seem to have more positive feelings towards the government and its officials. Everyone is embracing the new spirit and mindset of the country. Therefore, the people's and society's trust in the Party and the State is increasing.

When the people and society align themselves with the flow of the nation and the Party, working together towards the goal of serving the people's interests, society presents countless avenues for people to enjoy the fruits of the mechanisms and policies implemented by the Vietnamese Party and State.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/sap-xep-lai-giang-son-de-dat-nuoc-vuon-minh-319671.html