Completely overcome the situation of upgrading urban type when not meeting criteria

In line with the development trend of the country

On July 10, the National Assembly 's Law Committee held its 16th Plenary Session in both in-person and online formats to examine the draft Resolution of the National Assembly Standing Committee (NASC) on the arrangement of district- and commune-level administrative units for the 2023-2030 period.

Presenting the Government's Report on the draft Resolution of the National Assembly Standing Committee on the arrangement of district- and commune-level administrative units for the 2023-2030 period, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Nguyen Duy Thang said that, based on the results achieved in the implementation of the arrangement of district- and commune-level administrative units for the 2019-2021 period, to continue implementing the Party's policy and the assignment of the National Assembly Standing Committee, it is necessary for the Government to develop and submit to the National Assembly Standing Committee for promulgation a Resolution on the arrangement of district- and commune-level administrative units for the 2023-2030 period.

Dialogue - Thoroughly overcome the situation of upgrading urban types when not meeting the criteria — The National Assembly's Law Committee held its 16th plenary session (Photo: Quochoi.vn).

According to Mr. Thang, the draft Resolution closely follows the general and specific goals identified in Resolution No. 37 and Conclusion No. 48 of the Politburo .

By 2030, strive to have administrative units at district and commune levels basically arranged in accordance with the socio-economic development strategy; meeting the requirements of building our country into a modern industrialized country, following a socialist orientation.

The Draft Resolution consists of 4 chapters and 25 articles regulating the subjects of the reorganization of district- and commune-level administrative units in the 2023-2030 period; principles of reorganization; standards of district- and commune-level administrative units after reorganization; procedures, procedures, and dossiers of the reorganization project; reorganization of the apparatus, number of leaders, cadres, civil servants, public employees, and regimes and policies for cadres, civil servants, public employees, and redundant workers;

Handling of headquarters and public assets after the rearrangement; application of special regimes and policies to district- and commune-level administrative units formed after the rearrangement; implementation costs; responsibilities of agencies and organizations, etc.

Standards of district and commune level administrative units after rearrangement

The Draft Resolution clearly stipulates that district- and commune-level administrative units are subject to compulsory reorganization in the 2023-2025 period and the 2026-2030 period; encourages the reorganization of administrative units that are not subject to compulsory reorganization; and cases where reorganization is not required in the 2023-2030 period due to special factors.

Regarding the arrangement principles, the draft Resolution stipulates 6 principles for arranging administrative units at district and commune levels, which basically inherit the principles in Resolution No. 653.

At the same time, based on Conclusion No. 48 of the Politburo, the conclusion of the National Assembly Standing Committee and the conclusion of the National Assembly Party Delegation, the draft Resolution is revised in the direction of affirming the principle that the arrangement of administrative units at district and commune levels must ensure compliance with provincial planning, rural planning, urban planning or other relevant planning.

Dialogue - Thoroughly overcome the situation of upgrading urban types when not meeting the criteria (Figure 2). — Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Nguyen Duy Thang presented the report (Photo: Quochoi.vn).

Mr. Thang emphasized that, thoroughly implementing the direction of the Politburo in Conclusion No. 48 and Resolution No. 06 on "Completely overcoming the situation of upgrading urban types when not meeting the criteria", the draft Resolution specifically stipulates the standards of district- and commune-level administrative units after the rearrangement.

In principle, administrative units must meet the standards on natural area and population size as prescribed. However, in some special cases, administrative units after rearrangement may not meet one of the two standards on natural area or population size but must ensure the conditions as prescribed in this Resolution.

Urban administrative units formed after the rearrangement must meet the standards on structure and level of socio-economic development, urban type, and level of urban infrastructure development according to regulations.

When arranging administrative units at district and commune levels to reduce the number of administrative units, the standard on the number of subordinate administrative units is not considered.

Discussing at the meeting, delegates agreed with the provisions of the draft Resolution on the scope of district- and commune-level administrative units subject to rearrangement in the 2023-2025 period and the 2026-2030 period;..

Vice Chairman of the Law Committee Nguyen Phuong Thuy also noted that the goal of the reorganization is not only to reduce the number of administrative units, contributing to streamlining the organizational apparatus, streamlining the payroll, and reducing state budget expenditures, but also to ensure increased effectiveness and efficiency in state management, creating convenience for people and businesses.

Therefore, for administrative units with natural areas or population sizes that are too large, many times larger than the prescribed standards, they also need to be considered for rearrangement. Because, even if the staff is increased, in the current conditions, it is still very difficult to organize effective State management work in the area.

Opinions also highly agreed on the need for a mechanism for the central budget to support localities in the arrangement of administrative units, especially localities with many budget difficulties. At the same time, it was also suggested that the Ministry of Finance should be assigned to provide specific guidance on the management and use of this budget.

Concluding the meeting, Chairman of the Law Committee Hoang Thanh Tung said that the Law Committee highly agreed with the issuance of the Resolution according to the shortened procedure.

The arrangement of administrative units at district and commune levels has contributed to streamlining the organizational apparatus of the political system (reducing 3,437 agencies at commune level and 429 agencies at district level), streamlining the payroll (as of December 31, 2022, 648/706 (91.8%) of district-level officials and civil servants; 7,741/9,705 (79.8%) of commune-level officials and civil servants), reducing state budget expenditures (reducing VND 2,008.63 billion), restructuring and improving the quality and public service responsibilities of the team of officials, civil servants and public employees; contributing to expanding development space, concentrating resources, promoting the potential and advantages of localities for sustainable development .

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