Last weekend, the program of "Dialogue with Voters" organized by the Standing Committee of provincial People's Council attracted broad attention from voters and people in and out of the province at the studio of Binh Duong Radio - Television Station. With the theme of “A Revolution in Organizational Structure – Creating Development, Serving People”, the live broadcast lasting more than two hours received nearly 20 questions from delegates of the People's Council, voters present in the studio and viewers via phone calls. The questions revolved around the plan to reorganize and merge commune-level administrative units, expected to take effect from July 1 and the newly structured Ho Chi Minh City government, officially operating from September 15.
Ensuring continuity in public services
The atmosphere in the studio heated up from the beginning as questions focused on practical issues: the effectiveness of grassroots government operations after the merger; the ability to maintain online public services when administrative boundaries change; procedures for adjusting personal identification documents and land records; plans for using redundant commune-level government offices; the stability of decisions and investment policies of enterprises when Binh Duong, Ba Ria - Vung Tau and Ho Chi Minh City are merged.
Delegate Tran Thi Hong Hanh opened the Q&A session with a shared concern: “From July 1, the new communes and wards will officially begin operation; by September 15 at the latest, the new Ho Chi Minh City government after the merger will be operational. What solutions are in place to ensure online public services are maintained easily, conveniently and seamlessly?” In response, Truong Cong Huy, Deputy Chief of provincial People’s Committee Office affirmed: “We will not allow any disruption to the rights and interests of citizens and businesses in processing administrative procedures”. He cited: “Binh Duong has issued directives assigning the Department of Science and Technology to serve as the focal point for regular connection with the Departments of Science and Technology of Ho Chi Minh City, Ba Ria - Vung Tau and the Ho Chi Minh City Digital Transformation Center. The three localities reached an inter-local agreement on April 26, 2025 to ensure the operation of the administrative procedure information systems in the new communes and wards from July 1 and the management of the new Ho Chi Minh city in the digital environment from September 15”.
According to Truong Cong Huy, in order to ensure the provision of online public services after the administrative merger, relevant agencies have been and are implementing five synchronized solutions, including standardizing and synchronizing data, updating all data on population, boundaries and names of administrative units; synchronizing the shared database to ensure system interoperability after the merger; upgrading the administrative procedure information system (piloted in 15 communes and wards across the three localities; trial operation from June 15, official operation from July 1); ensuring continuous operation (assigning technical support teams at commune-level public administration service centers; promptly handling inter-agency procedures that depend on interconnected data); making communication and guidance (detailed guidance documents will be delivered to each household and business in early June; hotlines and on-site support teams are ready to assist with online procedures, especially for the elderly and those less familiar with technology); carrying out training and capacity building with focus on training officials and civil servants to use the new system, promoting digital community technology teams to support people in installing digital signatures and submitting online applications.
“We adhere to the principle of “putting people and businesses at the center of service” – every technical effort is to ensure public services are uninterrupted, not even for one minute”, Mr. Huy emphasized.
Ensuring citizens and businesses’rights and interests
Voter Do Quoc Khanh in Di An city’s Di An ward called in with a question: “After the reorganization, will ID cards, driver's licenses, birth certificates and land documents need to be changed? If so, where should we go?” In response, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thai Son, Deputy Head of the Advisory Division of provincial Police Agency cited the Clause 1, Article 24 of the 2023 Law on Citizen Identification (effective from July 1, 2024): The reorganization of administrative units does not require mandatory replacement of ID cards unless citizens wish to or fall under the cases of damaged cards, incorrect information, or changes in name, date of birth, or identifying features. Current ID cards remain valid and the new address will be updated in the National Population Database. Citizens wishing to update residency information or replace ID cards can visit any of the 15 ID issuance points in the province or apply online via the National Public Service Portal (in case of having level 2 electronic identification account).
“All online actions are based on original, standardized data, helping save time and costs”, said Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thai Son while recommending that people proactively create digital identity accounts to fully benefit from the digital environment.
Regarding land documents, a representative from provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment affirmed: “After the administrative unit reorganization, it is not mandatory to simultaneously revise all issued land use right certificates, except in cases where land users or owners of properties attached to the land request such adjustments or when the revisions are carried out in conjunction with land-related administrative procedures”.
Delegate Tran Thanh Trong, representing the business community, expressed concern: “Will the previously approved investment policies be revoked after the merger of the three localities?”. Ngo Hoang Minh, Deputy Director of provincial Department of Finance cited the Clause 2, Article 48 of the Law on Investment 2020 and affirmed: “An investment project can only be wholly or partially terminated under seven legally prescribed circumstances, none of which are related to administrative boundary mergers. Investors can rest assured that previously approved investment policies will remain valid”.
New structure ready to maximize resources
Concluding the dialogue program, Nguyen Van Loc, Member of provincial Party Standing Committee and Chairman of provincial People’s Council highly appreciated the forthrightness of the voters and the responsible preparation of departments and agencies, “Through the discussion, we can see that the public expects the new organizational model to serve more effectively, facilitate investment project implementation and ensure social welfare”, he said.
According to Mr. Loc, preparations for operating the new commune-level administrative units after the merger are basically complete: trial operation will begin in some communes and wards from June 9; full official operation will start from July 1. He emphasized that the opinions of delegates and voters show that voters are particularly concerned with ensuring the seamless operation of administrative procedures, processed them accurately, fully and promptly. The new commune-level “one-stop-shop” units must be the “single destination” for citizens. Each sector must implement its assigned tasks specifically and decisively, especially in ensuring uninterrupted system operations and timely resolution of administrative procedures for citizens and businesses during the transition period. Surplus office spaces must be reviewed and effectively used, with plans quickly developed to repurpose them for community benefit, avoiding waste of public assets. At the same time, strong decentralization and application of technology must be promoted to best serve the people. The new commune-level government must be “close to the people, close to the work, deeply understanding local characteristics and boldly resolving issues at the grassroots level.
In the immediate future, what people expect most is to feel better public service right at their local wards and communes—where administrative procedures are handled quickly, conveniently and without “bottlenecks” caused by boundary-related issues. It is only when even the most basic public services are delivered seamlessly and efficiently that administrative reform can truly win the trust and hearts of the people and voters. As one delegate shared: “The new administrative apparatus must stay close to the people, be responsive to practical needs, strongly adopt technology and resolve procedures effectively right at the grassroots level. If this is achieved, the organizational reform will not only help save public spending, but also create momentum for development and better serve the people—exactly as the theme of today’s dialogue program conveys”.
The dialogue session has concluded, but the issues raised are merely the beginning of a far-reaching reform process. From June 9, trial operations will begin; from July 1, the new wards and communes will officially come into operation and from September 15, the unified Ho Chi Minh City administrative apparatus will be fully functional. The timeline is tight, but with the strong determination of the political system and the consensus of voters, citizens and the business community, the new organizational model is expected to become a launchpad for a transformed Ho Chi Minh City—one that rises to meet its role as the nation’s economic engine. |
Reported by Do Trong-Minh Tuan-Translated by Kim Tin
