With a two-tier local government model, people will be better served.

From “extended arm” to “on-site executive brain”

“The commune level is no longer an “extended arm”, but has become the “on-site executive brain” - this image has been emphasized many times by city leaders, because of the new role of commune-level authorities in the two-level local government model.

To officially operate the model from July 1, 2025, the city has made very careful preparations. The work of arranging commune-level administrative units has been organized synchronously and systematically, from personnel, facilities, operating procedures, to converting information technology infrastructure and databases.

40 new commune-level administrative units (including 21 wards and 19 communes) have their apparatus rearranged in the direction of equal management capacity, with full specialized departments: Office of People's Council & People's Committee, Economic Department (or Economic - Infrastructure - Urban for wards), Cultural - Social Department, and for wards with large population such as Phu Xuan, Thuan Hoa, there will be an additional Planning - Finance Department.

The commune-level public administrative service center is organized into a focal point specializing in receiving and handling administrative procedures, with the Vice Chairman of the Commune/Ward People's Committee as the executive director. This model is both compact and professional, serving more closely the actual needs of the locality.

“We identify the commune-level government in the two-level locality model as the place that most clearly reflects the image of the State in the eyes of the people. Therefore, each cadre and each department must change their service mindset, from passive to proactive, from administrative to creative,” said Mr. Nguyen Van Manh, Director of the Department of Home Affairs.

At the conference on the implementation of the two-level local government activities, Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee and Chairman of the City People's Committee, Mr. Nguyen Van Phuong said that the transfer is not without gaps. This is not a simple separation of units, but a true handover of government. "We aim to not let any public services be interrupted; people and businesses will still be served continuously and more conveniently than before," Mr. Nguyen Van Phuong emphasized.

Convey trust

Before officially operating, the public administrative centers in the localities were "test-run". Officials and civil servants were thoroughly trained in office operations, land management, finance and planning, and skills in applying software to manage documents and electronic administrative information.

However, there are many difficulties. At the simultaneous inspections by city leaders in many localities, some communes still lack technological infrastructure, are still confused about decentralizing file processing, or have not been granted accounts to approve files online. The number of land records pending due to changes in administrative boundaries is also quite large. Some commune-level officials who are used to working in the traditional way now have to quickly approach new software and technical processes.

“The city is supporting each locality to overcome difficulties. We are not waiting for perfection before doing anything, but doing it to gradually improve. We will deal with any problems that arise, and not let the congestion drag on,” said Nguyen Thanh Binh, member of the City Party Committee and Permanent Vice Chairman of the City People’s Committee.

The highlight of the two-level local government model is the orientation to build digital government at the commune level, which is closest to the people but also has the richest data. Level 3 and 4 online public services are prioritized; specialized software is integrated; population, land, and household registration data are synchronized, helping to significantly reduce processing time and costs for both people and officials.

According to the Chairman of the City People's Committee, Mr. Nguyen Van Phuong, the commune-level public administrative center must be a place where people can come to receive and receive results transparently and quickly. There will be no roundabout or transfer routes like before. Technology helps to make the process more transparent, but the core is still the service attitude.

The city government is aiming to handle administrative procedures without borders, through widespread post offices; deploy satellite offices to reduce geographical distance, and pilot flexible decentralization to residential groups and villages in emergency situations such as natural disaster prevention and control.

The two-tier local government model is a step to realize the Party's policy, the National Assembly's resolution and the orientation for smart urban development in Vietnam. It not only streamlines the organization and improves governance capacity, but also contributes to creating an administration that is "close to the people, for the people and serves the people". To be successful, there must be synchronization between policy and people. Hue strives to do that with a receptive attitude, organizational capacity and determination to act. That movement will not stop on July 1 but is a long journey to form a truly modern, truly serving government, from the grassroots.

This morning (June 30), the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee held a ceremony to announce Resolution 1675/NQ-UBTVQH15, dated June 16, 2025 of the National Assembly Standing Committee on the arrangement of commune-level administrative units of Hue City; decisions of the City Party Committee and the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee on the organization of communes and wards in Hue City.

Article and photos: LE THO

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/chinh-tri-xa-hoi/chuyen-dong-tu-tam-the-den-nang-luc-155178.html