Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has signed a decision to establish a Steering Committee for the reorganization of administrative units at all levels and the development of a two-tier local government model.

Under this decision, Standing Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh will serve as the Committee’s Head, with Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra as the Standing Deputy Head, and Minister-Chairman of the Government Office Tran Van Son as Deputy Head.

The Steering Committee includes representatives from various ministries, including Justice, Finance, Construction, Agriculture and Environment, Culture-Sports-Tourism, Science-Technology, Education-Training, Health, and Ethnic and Religious Affairs.

The Committee is tasked with researching and advising the Prime Minister on policies and solutions to address key intersectoral issues related to the restructuring of administrative units and the development of a two-tier local government system.

Responsibilities of key ministries

The Minister of Home Affairs will propose amendments to the Law on Local Government Organization and the Law on Cadres and Civil Servants, as well as submit resolutions on administrative unit restructuring for parliamentary approval. Additionally, the Ministry will oversee the management of official documents and archives during the reorganization process.

The Ministry of National Defense will guide the identification of administrative units in border and national defense-sensitive areas and develop military defense zones accordingly. It will also oversee the organization of militia and self-defense forces in the newly structured administrative units.

The Ministry of Public Security will handle the retrieval and issuance of official seals, as well as update national databases on residence, personal identification, and electronic identity records in response to changes in administrative boundaries.

The Ministry of Finance will issue guidelines on managing public investment funds, adjusting capital plans for the 2026-2030 period, defining investment incentives, and modifying investment projects affected by administrative boundary changes.

The Ministry of Science and Technology will lead efforts to implement digital government initiatives and develop interconnected data systems linking grassroots (communal-level), provincial, and central government agencies.

The Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs will ensure that national target programs for economic and social development in ethnic minority and mountainous regions are properly implemented in the reorganized administrative units.

Quang Phong