The urban government model in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, and Da Nang may end.

In the draft Law on Organization of Local Government (amended) currently seeking comments, the Ministry of Home Affairs proposed that from July 1, Chapter 2 of the Capital Law regulating the organization of urban government in Hanoi will be abolished. The National Assembly's Resolution in 2024 on the organization of urban government in Hai Phong City is also proposed to be abolished at the same time.

From May 1, 2026, when the National Assembly Resolution on the organization of urban government in Ho Chi Minh City expires, it can also be abolished. The urban government model in Da Nang is proposed to stop operating from this point.

The local government organization in wards of Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang for the 2021-2026 term will continue to operate until the new ward People's Committee is elected. The transfer of tasks and powers of the district level (before dissolution) in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang to the city government will be stipulated by the National Assembly in the Resolution on merging the two cities with related administrative units and implemented until the new city and ward People's Committees are elected.

At the same time, specific regulations on the number of vice chairmen of district, commune, ward and town People's Committees exceeding the quota according to population size in Ho Chi Minh City can also be abolished.

The decentralization regulations in Thu Duc City as well as the apparatus, number, functions and tasks of specialized departments and offices here are also proposed to be abolished.

In addition, the Ministry of Home Affairs proposed to remove the special mechanism allowing Nghe An province to have no more than 5 vice chairmen of the province; Vinh City People's Council to establish 3 committees including Legal, Economic - Budget, Culture - Society; Vinh City People's Council to have no more than 8 full-time delegates; Vinh City People's Committee to have no more than 4 vice chairmen.

The above proposals aim to ensure compatibility with the policy of merging provinces, cities, communes and wards, abolishing the district level, and building a two-level local government model that is being implemented nationwide.

The urban government organization model was first piloted in Hanoi in 2019, then included in the Capital Law 2024. Accordingly, Hanoi does not organize People's Councils in wards.

From 2020, the National Assembly will allow Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang to implement the urban government model without organizing district and ward People's Councils. Hai Phong will apply from December 2024.

In February, the Ministry of Home Affairs proposed not to organize People's Councils at district, ward and commune levels in urban areas nationwide, but to only organize People's Committees, operating under the administrative head mechanism and directly under the People's Committees at higher levels. The Chairman and Vice Chairmen of the People's Committees will be directly appointed by the Chairman of the People's Committees at higher levels. However, this proposal was withdrawn from the draft Law on Organization of Local Government before being submitted to the National Assembly.