“Every breakthrough in thinking has led to a new growth miracle. Effective implementation of these breakthroughs in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) will lay the foundation for establishing and applying this institutional framework nationwide,” said Dr. Huynh Thanh Dien of Nguyen Tat Thanh University in an interview with The Saigon Times regarding the draft Special Urban Law. Three fundamental principles The Saigon Times: The latest draft of the Special Urban Law consists of nine chapters and 45 articles, granting approximately 300 powers directly to HCMC’s leadership. How do you expect this legislation to address existing bottlenecks and create new momentum for the city’s development in the coming years? – Dr. Huynh Thanh Dien: In 2017, the National Assembly adopted Resolution 54/2017/QH14, which piloted special mechanisms and policies for the development of HCMC. Resolution 54 gave the city greater autonomy in areas such as resource management, land administration, talent attraction, and fiscal and budgetary management. However, the resolution did not fully remove institutional constraints. For example, the city’s ability to mobilize capital through bond issuance and official development assistance (ODA) remained limited by procedural hurdles. Planning overlaps persisted, decentralization was not sufficiently robust, and investment procedures often remained lengthy and cumbersome. […]