Vietnam Interior Minister discusses commune and ward mergers

Minister of Home Affairs Nguyen Tien Hai has announced that local authorities are empowered to propose the merger or separation of communes and wards based on actual local conditions. During a socio-economic group discussion on October 18, the Minister explained that the Central Committee has concluded that provinces and cities should proactively assess administrative arrangements to improve management efficiency and development potential.

Under the proposed guidelines, small communes that lack sufficient space for development may be merged with two or three neighboring units that share similar socio-economic and cultural characteristics. Conversely, if previously merged units are found to be too large, causing operational difficulties, local authorities may propose a separation.

Minister Hai emphasized the principle of local autonomy, stating that provinces must decide, implement, and take responsibility for these changes. He noted that local leadership must reach a consensus and seek public opinion to ensure community agreement before submitting proposals to the Central Government for final decision. Additionally, the Ministry is researching a model for typical nuclear-level commune administrative units to advise the Government and Politburo.