What to do to effectively organize commune-level administrative units? Lesson 1: Objective requirements

In the period of 2019-2021, Hai Duong province has rearranged 55 commune-level administrative units to establish 25 new units. The rearrangement helps to streamline and improve the operational efficiency of the administrative apparatus of communes, wards and towns, creating new momentum and development conditions for localities.

Streamlining the apparatus, reducing staff and civil servants

Chi Minh Commune (Tu Ky) was established on the basis of merging 3 communes of Tu Xuyen, Tay Ky and Dong Ky. Before the merger, the 3 old communes had 48 cadres and civil servants. Up to now, Chi Minh Commune has reduced to only 23 people. In 2022 alone, the commune has reviewed and reorganized the staff and civil servants and proposed the district to transfer 9 civil servants to other localities, and resolved to let 1 civil servant retire.

Mr. Nguyen Tuan Anh, Chairman of the People's Committee of Chi Minh Commune, said that from now until the end of the year, the locality will continue to propose arranging 2 redundant civil servants, ensuring the number of cadres and civil servants in accordance with regulations.

Hong Du Commune (Ninh Giang) is currently merged from two communes Hong Thai and Hong Du. After the merger, the locality invested nearly 20 billion VND to build, repair and upgrade many schools, roads and cultural houses.

Notably, before the merger, the two communes of Hong Du and Hong Thai still owed about 26 billion VND in basic construction debt. To solve the above problem, the locality focused on land use planning associated with the commune's general planning to organize land use rights auctions to generate revenue. Up to now, the commune has basically settled the outstanding debt for basic construction. Hong Du has also merged schools of all 3 levels and agricultural service cooperatives.

Schools and public offices are currently being used reasonably by the commune, there are no public offices to avoid waste.

In the period of 2019-2021, Ninh Giang district is the locality with the most administrative units rearranged in the province (14 communes, of which 9 communes must be rearranged, 5 adjacent communes).

In the 2023-2025 period, Ninh Giang district will continue to reorganize 7 communes and 1 town into 3 communes and 1 town. "From the local reality, it can be affirmed that the implementation of administrative unit reorganization has helped streamline the apparatus, while increasing the administrative scale of localities, creating favorable conditions for planning and development," said Mr. Phan Nhat Thanh, Deputy Secretary of the District Party Committee and Chairman of the Ninh Giang District People's Committee.

Consensus

The positive results in the recent reorganization of commune-level administrative units show that this policy of the Party and State is correct and has brought many benefits. That is, it reduces the cumbersomeness of the political system at the grassroots level, thereby reducing budget expenditures for the staff, while creating a wider and more favorable development space for localities.

In the period of 2023-2025, Hai Duong province has 38 commune-level administrative units with both criteria of natural area and population size below 70% of the prescribed standards or at the same time having a natural area below 20% andPopulation size below 300% of the prescribed standard must be arranged. Nhan Hue Commune (Chi Linh City) is proposed not to be reorganized due to specific factors. This is a commune with 3 sides bordering Kinh Thay River, 1 side bordering Co Thanh Ward, has its own characteristics in terms of living habits and production, mainly agriculture, fishing. If merged with Co Thanh Ward, it will not be suitable for living habits and difficult for people to travel and handle administrative procedures, and at the same time affect the urban criteria of Co Thanh Ward.

According to the plan of Hai Duong Provincial People's Committee, the whole province has 60 commune-level administrative units that need to be rearranged, of which 37 units are subject to rearrangement and 23 adjacent related units. After the 2023-2025 rearrangement, Hai Duong will reduce 31 units, leaving 204 commune-level administrative units.

According to Hai Duong Newspaper reporters in many localities, the majority of officials and people agree with this important policy and expect the arrangement to create positive changes in the new administrative units. Mr. Nguyen Van Cung, Chairman of the People's Committee of Co Dung Commune (Kim Thanh) said: "Co Dung Commune will merge with Thuong Vu Commune. When they learned about the merger policy, the leaders and people of the two localities agreed with the policy. We hope that after the merger, the area and population will increase, the area will expand, and the new commune will have more opportunities and resources for development."

In the 2019-2021 period, Thanh Ha district will reorganize 5 commune-level administrative units into 2 units and adjust 2 units to Hai Duong city. Currently, the district has 20 commune-level administrative units, a decrease of 5 units compared to before. The number of cadres and civil servants will decrease by 54 people, the number of non-professional workers will decrease by 30 people. In the 2023-2025 period, Thanh Ha will also have 7 communes and 1 town subject to reorganization.

Thanh Ha is stepping up information and propaganda; promptly resolving difficulties and obstacles to effectively implement the arrangement at units subject to the arrangement in the 2023-2025 period.

On January 30, 2023, the Politburo issued Conclusion No. 48-KL/TW on continuing to reorganize district- and commune-level administrative units for the 2023-2030 period. On July 12, 2023, the National Assembly Standing Committee passed Resolution No. 35/2023/UBTVQH15 on reorganizing district- and commune-level administrative units for the 2023-2030 period. The Government and the People's Committee of Hai Duong province also issued a plan on reorganizing commune-level administrative units for the 2023-2025 period.