HCMC – The HCMC Party Committee has approved a plan to reduce the number of commune-level administrative units by 62.64%, from 273 to 102.
The decision was made at the 39th session of the Executive Board of the HCMC Party Committee on April 15, reported the local media.
The restructured system will comprise 78 wards and 24 communes, aiming to streamline governance and bring local authorities closer to residents.
The reorganization includes adjustments to overlapping administrative boundaries in several areas to ensure clarity and efficiency.
Key changes involve resolving boundary disputes between Thu Duc City and Binh Duong Province around the Vietnam National University HCMC campus, and expanding District 6 into part of Ward 16 in District 8, and three wards in District 8 into three communes of Binh Chanh District, namely Binh Hung, Phong Phu, and An Phu Tay.
Under the approved two-tier local governance system, HCMC will have a People’s Council and a People’s Committee at the provincial level. The People’s Council of HCMC will have four specialized committees while the People’s Committee of HCMC will have 15 departments and department-level agencies.
At the commune level, wards, communes, and special zones will each have their own people’s councils and people’s committees.
The restructuring will require staffing adjustments, with an estimated 6,120 personnel needed for the new units. Therefore, 11,015 individuals will become redundant.
The plan prioritizes ensuring that new administrative units remain manageable in size and population to avoid becoming overly expansive or detached from residents.
To minimize disruption, the plan will stabilize administrative boundaries to reduce impact on land records, urban planning, and property documentation for residents and businesses during the transition. Over the next five years, the city will allocate personnel to meet the demands of public service delivery, preventing administrative bottlenecks at the grassroots level.
