HCMC – Can Tho City plans to build a new administrative center covering 20 hectares with an estimated investment of VND2.5 trillion (around US$98 million), following the proposed merger with the neighboring provinces of Hau Giang and Soc Trang.
The plan was announced by Deputy Secretary of the Can Tho Party Committee Truong Canh Tuyen during a city Party Committee meeting on July 11.
According to Tuyen, the site will be located in the southern urban area of Can Tho, formerly in Cai Rang District. It had previously been designated as part of a 69.4-hectare project known as Tay Do Cultural Center, approved in April 2023. That plan allocated 10.87 hectares for an administrative complex with an estimated budget of VND2 trillion, while the rest was reserved for cultural, commercial, and service functions.
Following the planned merger of the three localities, city leaders have reviewed and selected the same site for a larger-scale administrative center to accommodate the expanded city’s governance needs. Two options were considered: maintaining the original 10.87-hectare plan, or expanding it to 20 hectares. The latter was chosen, increasing the total investment to VND2.5 trillion.
The new complex will house the offices of the Party, local government, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and various socio-political organizations. The remaining 49 hectares will be developed into a cultural and commercial center.
Can Tho Party Secretary Do Thanh Binh said the current administrative buildings, mainly located in Ninh Kieu District, are outdated and fragmented, and no longer meet the operational demands of a larger metropolitan government.
He emphasized that the development of a centralized administrative hub is necessary to enhance service delivery and operational efficiency. The city aims to begin construction by the end of this year.
Following the merger, Can Tho would cover over 6,360 square kilometers with a population of more than 4.19 million, and include 103 communes and wards. It would remain one of Vietnam’s six centrally governed cities.
