(Hanoi, 13th) Vietnam’s National Assembly voted to pass a resolution to merge provincial-level administrative units, reducing the number of provinces and cities from 63 to 34, including 28 provinces and six cities.
This is a part of a major reform of the administrative structure of the Vietnamese government. The government hopes to significantly reduce expenses; after the provincial and city mergers, nearly 80,000 jobs will be cut.
According to a Viet Nam News Agency report, on Thursday (June 12th), the Vietnam National Assembly passed the resolution with 461 votes in favor, one against, and three abstentions. The new leadership of the merged provinces and cities will be announced on June 30th, and the new local governments will officially operate from July 1st.
After the administrative reorganization, Vietnam will implement a two-tier local administrative management model at the provincial and commune levels. It is expected that from 2026 to 2030, approximately 190 trillion VND (about RM 307 billion) can be saved. Official data shows that the reorganized provinces will have over 447,000 civil servants, whose salaries will be evaluated according to the new administrative area divisions.
According to the resolution, Vietnam will establish 34 provincial-level administrative units, which include adjustments to 52 provinces and cities, merging them into 19 provinces and four cities, namely Tuyen Quang Province, Lao Cai Province, Thai Nguyen Province, Phu Tho Province, Bac Ninh Province, Hung Yen Province, Ninh Binh Province, Quang Tri Province, Quang Ngai Province, Gia Lai Province, Khanh Hoa Province, Lam Dong Province, Dak Lak Province, Dong Nai Province, Tay Ninh Province, Vinh Long Province, Dong Thap Province, Ca Mau Province, and An Giang Province, as well as Hai Phong City, Da Nang City, Ho Chi Minh City, and Can Tho City.
The other 11 provinces and cities remain unchanged, including Hanoi City, Hue City, Lai Chau Province, Dien Bien Province, Son La Province, Lang Son Province, Cao Bang Province, Quang Ninh Province, Thanh Hoa Province, Nghe An Province, and Ha Tinh Province.
Vietnamese Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra described this as the largest reform since the founding of Vietnam in 1945. She said in the National Assembly: “After the provincial and city mergers, 79,339 officials will be reduced, and they will resign or retire early.”
An unnamed Vietnamese provincial official told AFP that he has served in the public sector for over 30 years and now has to leave, which makes him “shocked and saddened.”
He said: “I might receive compensation of about 1 billion VND (about RM 162,100), but I am not happy... I don’t know what to do, I think I can still continue working.”
Earlier this year, the Vietnamese government launched a massive reform plan to reduce the size of government personnel by about 20%, reducing the number of cabinet departments from 18 to 14, and the number of ministerial-level agencies from five to three, with about 100,000 civil servants being laid off.
Vietnam’s Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said in promoting reform that in order for Vietnam to achieve rapid, stable, and sustainable development, radical reforms must be carried out. He also said that the streamlined administrative structure will “shift from passive management to proactive public service.”
This is a part of a major reform of the administrative structure of the Vietnamese government. The government hopes to significantly reduce expenses; after the provincial and city mergers, nearly 80,000 jobs will be cut.
According to a Viet Nam News Agency report, on Thursday (June 12th), the Vietnam National Assembly passed the resolution with 461 votes in favor, one against, and three abstentions. The new leadership of the merged provinces and cities will be announced on June 30th, and the new local governments will officially operate from July 1st.
After the administrative reorganization, Vietnam will implement a two-tier local administrative management model at the provincial and commune levels. It is expected that from 2026 to 2030, approximately 190 trillion VND (about RM 307 billion) can be saved. Official data shows that the reorganized provinces will have over 447,000 civil servants, whose salaries will be evaluated according to the new administrative area divisions.
According to the resolution, Vietnam will establish 34 provincial-level administrative units, which include adjustments to 52 provinces and cities, merging them into 19 provinces and four cities, namely Tuyen Quang Province, Lao Cai Province, Thai Nguyen Province, Phu Tho Province, Bac Ninh Province, Hung Yen Province, Ninh Binh Province, Quang Tri Province, Quang Ngai Province, Gia Lai Province, Khanh Hoa Province, Lam Dong Province, Dak Lak Province, Dong Nai Province, Tay Ninh Province, Vinh Long Province, Dong Thap Province, Ca Mau Province, and An Giang Province, as well as Hai Phong City, Da Nang City, Ho Chi Minh City, and Can Tho City.
The other 11 provinces and cities remain unchanged, including Hanoi City, Hue City, Lai Chau Province, Dien Bien Province, Son La Province, Lang Son Province, Cao Bang Province, Quang Ninh Province, Thanh Hoa Province, Nghe An Province, and Ha Tinh Province.
Vietnamese Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra described this as the largest reform since the founding of Vietnam in 1945. She said in the National Assembly: “After the provincial and city mergers, 79,339 officials will be reduced, and they will resign or retire early.”
An unnamed Vietnamese provincial official told AFP that he has served in the public sector for over 30 years and now has to leave, which makes him “shocked and saddened.”
He said: “I might receive compensation of about 1 billion VND (about RM 162,100), but I am not happy... I don’t know what to do, I think I can still continue working.”
Earlier this year, the Vietnamese government launched a massive reform plan to reduce the size of government personnel by about 20%, reducing the number of cabinet departments from 18 to 14, and the number of ministerial-level agencies from five to three, with about 100,000 civil servants being laid off.
Vietnam’s Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said in promoting reform that in order for Vietnam to achieve rapid, stable, and sustainable development, radical reforms must be carried out. He also said that the streamlined administrative structure will “shift from passive management to proactive public service.”