Expected to dissolve districts, towns, provincial cities, towns from July 1
The Ministry of Home Affairs proposed to dissolve administrative units of districts, towns, provincial cities, centrally run cities, and townships from July 1.
Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra signed a submission to the Government on the draft Law on Organization of Local Government (amended).
The draft law amends and supplements regulations on the organization of administrative units and the two-level local government model, including provincial and commune levels, without organizing the district level.
Specifically, the provincial level remains as per current regulations (including: provinces, centrally-run cities). At the same time, reorganize the current commune-level administrative units to form new commune-level administrative units including: communes, wards and special zones (on islands).
According to the proposal of the Ministry of Home Affairs, local government in rural areas includes local government in provinces and communes. Local government in urban areas includes local government in cities directly under centrally run cities and wards. Local government in islands is local government in special zones.
Local authorities in special administrative-economic units are prescribed by the National Assembly when establishing such special administrative-economic units.
The draft law stipulates that local governments at provincial and communal levels must organize People's Councils and People's Committees to ensure a unified government apparatus that operates smoothly from the central to communal levels.
In the draft Law on Organization of Local Government (amended), the Ministry of Home Affairs also proposed regulations to resolve issues arising from the conversion of the local government organization model from 3 levels to 2 levels.
Specifically, administrative units of districts, towns, provincial cities, centrally-run cities, and townships will be dissolved from July 1.
The People's Council, agencies under the People's Council, the People's Committee, the Chairman of the People's Committee, and specialized agencies under the People's Committee of districts, towns, cities under provinces, cities under centrally run cities, and towns will cease to perform their duties, exercise their powers, and operate from July 1, except for some cases.
Roadmap to end the urban government model
The draft law also stipulates the termination of the urban government model currently being implemented in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang, and the transition in organizing local governments at the ward level in these three cities during the 2021-2026 term.
Accordingly, from July 1, 2025, it is proposed to abolish Resolution No. 72/2022 of the National Assembly on piloting a number of specific mechanisms and policies for the development of Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak Province; abolish Clause 2, Article 6 of Resolution No. 137/2024 of the National Assembly on supplementing a pilot of a number of specific mechanisms and policies for the development of Nghe An Province; and abolish Resolution No. 169/2024 of the National Assembly on the organization of urban government in Hai Phong City.
From May 1, 2026, it is proposed to abolish Articles 8, 11, 12, 13, Point d, Clause 4, Article 9, Clauses 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Article 14 of the Law on the Capital.
The draft law also proposes to abolish Resolution No. 131/2020 of the National Assembly on the organization of urban government in Ho Chi Minh City from May 1, 2026; abolish Clause 2, Clause 3, Article 9 and Article 10 of Resolution No. 98/2023 of the National Assembly on piloting a number of specific mechanisms and policies for the development of Ho Chi Minh City; abolish Article 7, Article 8 of Resolution No. 136/2024 of the National Assembly on the organization of urban government and piloting a number of specific mechanisms and policies for the development of Da Nang City.
After two recent rounds of reorganization and merger of district-level administrative units (2019-2021 and 2023-2025), the country currently has 696 district-level administrative units.
Of these, there are 2 cities under the Central Government (Thu Duc - Ho Chi Minh City, Thuy Nguyen - Hai Phong City), 84 provincial cities, 53 towns, 49 districts and 508 counties.