The mission of an economic leader

More than ever, the Party Committee, government, and people of Ho Chi Minh City face the demand for change and development at a time when the nation is entering a new era of progress, striving to live up to its mission as the leading economic engine.

Báo Sài Gòn Giải phóng•09/06/2025

The revolution in organizational structure and apparatus, along with the implementation of major strategic policies, is urging Ho Chi Minh City to act quickly and effectively to build trust among the people. Once trust is established, the strength of the people will create powerful and miraculous breakthroughs.

We have reason to hope that the merger of Binh Duong province, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, and Ho Chi Minh City will open up new development opportunities, forming a modern megacity that will lead Vietnam's economic development and contribute to enhancing the nation's position on the international stage. The potential and strengths of the three localities after the merger will create synergy for development, attracting international capital, knowledge, technology, and talent.

We also have the right to hope that in the not too distant future, the new Ho Chi Minh City will be the image of a smart city, a creative city, a multi-centered urban model, the economic engine of Southeast Asia, always valuing sustainable development and preserving cultural identity, and will be a city to be proud of in building the Ho Chi Minh Cultural Space…

The new Ho Chi Minh City will have an area of 6,770 square kilometers, a population of over 13.7 million people, and 168 commune-level administrative units, a 62% reduction compared to the current number. This is the most extensive administrative reform ever undertaken. Currently, preparations for the closure of district-level administrative units on July 1st and the merger of provinces on August 15th are underway with a high sense of responsibility. A crucial aspect of this restructuring is personnel, aiming to ensure that tasks are performed in accordance with job positions, with the principle of "choosing the right people for the job." This is considered a test of the leadership's capabilities, especially those of the top leaders, as the results will be evaluated immediately after the new system is put into operation – whether it runs smoothly and whether public service is disrupted.

When implementing the two-tiered local government model, merging the provincial level and eliminating the district level, many provincial and district-level officials will be transferred to the commune level. It is noteworthy that in the restructuring plan, some comrades who are members of the Standing Committee and City Party Committee have voluntarily transferred to work in wards and communes. This is seen as an opportunity to be more closely involved with the people and address the issues arising during the restructuring process, especially since the scale and responsibilities of wards and communes are much larger than before.

The restructuring of the organizational apparatus towards a lean, efficient, effective, and effective model is linked to addressing the welfare and policies for a significant number of officials, civil servants, and public employees leaving the state sector. This includes providing training and job placement assistance for non-specialized personnel and workers during the restructuring process. This is a major undertaking involving people, requiring thorough understanding from leaders, especially those in organizational roles.

For the system to function effectively, strong decentralization and delegation of power are necessary, along with empowering local governments to take initiative and simplifying administrative procedures as much as possible while modernizing public service. In particular, utmost importance must be placed on building a synchronized and interconnected database to ensure the operation of information systems in a digital environment, creating the foundation for the formation of e-government.

This reorganization of the political system will free up a significant amount of resources, much of which will be reallocated to education, healthcare, cultural institutions, and public services to better serve the people, who in reality are often overloaded and lack the necessary conditions to care for all aspects of their lives. The process of reorganizing the political system requires accelerating the implementation of socio-economic development tasks, expediting the disbursement of public investment capital, and speeding up the progress of both existing and new projects.

With a vision and aspiration to develop the country, the Party Committee, government, and people of Ho Chi Minh City are ready to implement the two-tiered local government model with a high sense of responsibility and self-awareness, promoting interaction with the people and creating the strength of consensus in the development process.

PHAM PHUONG THAO

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/su-menh-cua-dau-tau-kinh-te-post798679.html