The Vietnamese government has announced a bold plan to restructure the country's administrative system, proposing a 50-percent reduction in provincial-level administrative units and 60-70-percent reduction in grassroots-level units. 

The announcement came during a recent high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

Following directives from the Politburo, the central government’s Party Committee has been working on a proposal to streamline administrative units and create a two-tier local administration system, consisting of the provincial level and the grassroots level.

The meeting focused on finalizing the proposal based on feedback from the Politburo. 

Discussions centered on criteria for merging administrative units, potential reorganization plans, naming conventions for newly-formed entities, and the structure and function of provincial and grassroots-level administrations.

PM Chinh highlighted that the majority of public opinion endorses the administrative restructuring, aiming to align with Vietnam’s current socio-economic development, improved digital infrastructure, enhanced transportation networks, and the need for a more efficient government.

The reorganization is expected to create new development opportunities and optimize local potential.

According to the proposal, the number of provincial-level administrative units would be reduced by approximately 50 percent and that of grassroots-level units would drop by 60-70 percent.

PM Chinh stated that the restructuring must consider historical, cultural, and geographical factors, in addition to geographical area, population size.

He stressed the importance of preserving historical continuity in naming new administrative units and carefully selecting administrative centers based on historical, geographical, and developmental considerations.

The top official reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring that these changes will bring greater efficiency, better public services, and improved quality of life for citizens. 

He added that while administrative units will be streamlined, local autonomy and people-centered governance will be strengthened.

This move is part of Vietnam’s broader efforts to modernize its public sector, including the merger of ministries and agencies, digital transformation of government services, and investment in smart urban planning.

The ongoing major restructuring drive also resulted in waves of resignations reported at various state-run agencies, like the newly-merged Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.

As of March 6, 717 civil servants, public employees, and workers at the ministry had officially submitted resignation requests, while an additional 283 have indicated their intention to resign if financial compensation is available.

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