What to do to make commune-level administrative units operate effectively after the merger? Final article - Promoting resources, fighting waste

Development cooperation

After 5 years of merging with Hung Son commune, Thanh Mien town has a larger area and population and is developing strongly. In recent years, the local political tasks have been completed well and achieved many comprehensive results. The average economic growth rate of the town in the past 5 years reached 10.8%/year.

According to comrade Vu Van Nguyen, Secretary of the Thanh Mien Town Party Committee, the merger of the two localities has created positive changes, promoting land and population resources, expanding space to plan for local development potential; at the same time, streamlining the apparatus, reducing staff, and improving the quality of operations of the staff and civil servants.

Another positive factor in Thanh Mien town is that after the merger, regular budget expenditures are reduced by 5 to 6 billion VND per year compared to the previous two administrative units. This is a condition to concentrate resources on investment in socio-economic development, improving the material and spiritual life of the people.

"Local practice shows that the arrangement of commune-level administrative units is a policy that is suitable to practical requirements, closely linked to the implementation of the policy of streamlining the apparatus, reducing staff and implementing salary reform," added the Secretary of the Thanh Mien Town Party Committee.

In December 2024, Thanh Tan commune (Thanh Ha) was merged from Thanh Thuy and Thanh Xa communes. Up to now, the administrative apparatus has been arranged stably and operated better. The two old localities continue to promote their strengths and complement each other, helping Thanh Tan commune have more resources and conditions for development.

Comrade Nguyen Thi Thuy, Secretary of the Thanh Tan Commune Party Committee, cited that before the merger, Thanh Xa Commune had only achieved 9/19 criteria for advanced new rural areas, while Thanh Thuy Commune had achieved 18/19 criteria. After the merger, Thanh Tan Commune has now achieved 16/19 criteria. Promoting the strengths of growing lychee in the old Thanh Xa Commune and the strengths of growing bananas, lemons, and kumquats in the old Thanh Thuy Commune has helped the local agricultural products become more abundant and diverse. Activities to promote the consumption of agricultural products and build OCOP products have been more convenient. "Instead of having to invest in 2 markets in 2 old communes if not merged, in the coming time, Thanh Tan Commune will focus its resources on upgrading Thanh Thuy Market into a large market to meet the buying and selling needs of local people and in the region," added the Secretary of the Thanh Tan Commune Party Committee.

Quickly resolve redundant headquarters

In 2019, Tan Quang commune (Ninh Giang) was established on the basis of merging 3 communes: Hoang Hanh, Tan Quang and Quang Hung. After the merger, there were 2 redundant offices of Tan Quang and Quang Hung communes. According to the plan, the office of Tan Quang commune was transferred to Tan Quang Secondary School. The office of Quang Hung commune was transferred to the District Health Center for management.

However, up to now, the old Quang Hung commune headquarters with many buildings and a total land area of ​​2,691 m² is still vacant. The Tan Quang commune headquarters transferred to Tan Quang Secondary School only uses the hall as a subject classroom and the "one-stop" department room as a team room. The other rooms are too small in area, not meeting classroom standards, so they are not used. Along with that, the old Tan Quang Medical Station headquarters with an area of ​​2,468 m² is also vacant.

Mr. Le Van Phuc, Chairman of Tan Quang Commune People's Committee, said that the commune has also tried to balance and arrange budget resources to invest in repairs, construction or conversion of functions in accordance with the planning and actual conditions of the locality. However, due to lack of capital for repairs, the current situation is left empty. "In the coming time, when arranging commune-level administrative units, the issue of handling and arranging public assets and headquarters after the merger to avoid waste is a concern and expectation of localities and people in the area where the merger is carried out," Mr. Phuc shared.

According to the report of the Department of Finance in March 2025, after 2 times of merging commune-level administrative units in 2019 and 2024, the whole province has 58 surplus houses and land. According to the plan to arrange the working headquarters of surplus commune-level administrative units, there will be 18 surplus houses and land retained for continued use, 24 transferred, 2 transferred to the locality, 1 temporarily retained for continued use, 1 facility will be recovered and assets on the land will be sold, and 4 facilities will be transferred with land use rights...

Along with the slow progress in handling redundant headquarters, the reality in many localities shows that the situation like that in Tan Quang commune (Ninh Giang) mentioned above is not unique. In the province, there are still many redundant headquarters after merging communes, wards and towns that are left empty. Many headquarters have been transferred to other agencies and units but are only partially used or have just been "signed and named" but are not being used effectively.

In the coming time, when continuing to arrange commune-level administrative units, there will be more redundant headquarters. If not handled promptly, it will easily lead to waste.

Along with promptly and effectively resolving the above issue, many commune and town officials speaking to reporters said that immediately after the reorganization, it is necessary to focus on allocating necessary investment resources so that the administrative units after the merger can soon stabilize their organization and operations, and have an initial foundation to fulfill the requirements of socio-economic development. Thereby ensuring and improving the quality of life of the people, so that people can immediately feel the positive effects and efficiency of the reorganization.

In addition, there are many other issues that need to be addressed in the implementation of the arrangement of commune-level administrative units, such as naming new administrative units, maintaining the great solidarity between old localities after the merger, preserving and promoting the values ​​and identities of each place, converting documents for people, resolving outstanding debts in basic construction, etc.

Records in many localities in the province show that there are still concerns and worries when work and life are affected when implementing the arrangement of commune-level administrative units, but in general, cadres, party members and people in communes, wards and towns in the province all responded, expressed high consensus, and were ready to contribute to the successful implementation of the apparatus streamlining revolution for the development of the homeland and the country.