Phase 1 by province as of 12 June 2025, which includes the representative rendering of the disputed
Paracel and
Spratly Islands. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs has proposed merging districts that do not meet the criteria for area and
demography. On February 18, 2025, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued
Decision 73/QĐ–BNV regarding the
Program of practicing thrift and combating wastefulness by the Ministry of Home Affairs for 2025. However, just before the start of the 2025 New Year holidays, the top state bodies announced the first program of
reforms. The campaign began with the merger or dissolution of a series of state agencies, which were considered inefficient and wasteful of budget funds. This has led to the dismissal of thousands of
government employees who failed to meet work performance standards. In addition, the arrangement and merger at the provincial-level also takes into account geographical conditions, socio-economic level, and infrastructure. On February 21, the
Government of Vietnam issued ''Declaration on Vietnam's baselines in the Gulf of Tonkin'' and immediately submitted to the
United Nations a depository copy of the nautical chart and coordinates of the baselines in the
Gulf of Tonkin. The event, although causing outrage in the
People's Republic of China, is seen as a stepping stone for efforts to reform
Vietnam's already troubled
administrative unit system.
Phase 2 After the 2025
Lunar New Year, on February 22, with Concludes 126 and 127, the Politburo and the
Central Secretariat announced a number of proposals on merging
administrative units. Among them, the plan for a government with only three levels received high consensus. Six days later, the Politburo and the Secretariat officially announced the policy of eliminating
rural districts (), then merging
communes () and finally merging
provinces (). In response to this directive, localities were required to suspend all
elections and not build new government buildings to save their budgets. Under this criterion, the number of communes and provinces in Vietnam will begin to be reduced by 1/5 (commune) to 1/2 (province), with completion by May 2025 at the latest. From March 7 to 17, 2025, the Government and the
Fatherland Front gradually announced plans to cut personnel and eliminate ineffective agencies in localities, stressing the implementation must ensure caution, thoroughness and quality. It also stated its focus on receiving opinions from the Politburo at the meeting on March 7, 2025, completing the submission and project for arrangement and reorganization of administrative units at all levels, and building a model for organizing
local governments to ensure adequate political, legal basis and
praxis in implementing. However, this move was criticized by many domestic and international
media outlets for a lack of transparency. On March 14, 2025, the Politburo and the
National Assembly began a meeting, which is said to be the longest in its history, lasting until May. This event was to prepare for the official list of administrative units after the rearrangement and merger. Prime Minister
Phạm Minh Chính announced on March 11, 2025 an August 30 deadline for the reforms, to allow the new administrative units to take effect by September 1. Based on Resolution 1211 enacted by the
Standing Committee of the National Assembly of Vietnam in 2016, the Ministry of Home Affairs officially announced the list of province-level administrative units subject to merging because they did not meet population, economic and infrastructural standards on March 26, 2025. In addition, the government also encouraged provinces to name new communes in order number. • 11 localities will be preserved:
Hà Nội,
Huế,
Lai Châu,
Điện Biên,
Sơn La,
Cao Bằng,
Lạng Sơn,
Quảng Ninh,
Thanh Hóa,
Nghệ An,
Hà Tĩnh. In addition, 13
island districts will be transformed into special zones under their respective provinces: Bạch Long Vĩ, Cát Hải, Cồn Cỏ, Côn Đảo, Cô Tô, Hoàng Sa, Lý Sơn, Kiên Hải, Phú Quốc, Phú Quý, Thổ Châu, Trường Sa, Vân Đồn. According to Resolution 60–NQ/TW on April 12, 2025 of the 11th Conference of the XIII
Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the country will be divided into 6 key economic regions: Northern Midlands and Mountains, Red River Delta, North-Central and Central Coastal, Western Highlands, Southeast, Mekong River Delta.
Phase 3 On April 14, 2025,
Lê Minh Hưng – Member of the Politburo, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central Organizing Committee and Deputy Head of the Standing Committee of the Central Steering Committee (Steering Committee) – on the review of Resolution 18–NQ/TW (October 25, 2017 of the Communist Party Central Committee (XII term) some issues on continuing to renovate and organize the streamlined political system. 47–KH/BCD (Plan 47) of the Steering Committee on the arrangement and merger of the provincial and commune-level administrative units and organize the 2-level local government
system. The project clearly stated the implementation of Resolution 60–NQ/TW, dated 12 April, 2025, of the XIII Communist Party Central Committee on continuing to re-organize the organizational structure of the political system. In order for the implementation to ensure the proposed schedule, achieve the streamlined, performance, effective and effective goals associated with the successful organization of the Party Congress at all levels to the XIV National Party Congress, the Central Steering Committee on the review of Resolution 18 promulgates the
Plan to arrange and merge the administrative unit at the provincial and commune authorities. Plan 47 clearly stated the requirements, the Party committees, party organizations, agencies, units and heads: • Sticking to the resolutions and conclusions of the Central Executive Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat. Proactively and actively do well the work of thorough grasping, propagating, mobilizing, ideological and social public orientation, ensuring solidarity, consensus and high unity among officials, party members,
civil servants,
officials,
workers and people of all classes. • Focusing on directing and urgently concretizing plans according to functions, tasks and competence ; drastically implement the tasks and assign specific responsibilities in the implementation organization to ensure the completion of the plan. At the same time, ensure agencies, units and organizations before, during and after arranging continuous, smooth, effective, effective and effective operation, not to interrupt work, abandoning tasks, areas, areas and affecting normal activities of agencies, units, organizations and society. • Strong application of
information technology, digital conversion to reform activities of agencies and units. Urgently digitize documents, comprehensive renovation of administrative procedures, improve the quality of online public services, digital services for people and businesses. • Strictly control the situation, ensure security and order in areas, absolutely do not let the situation of many people's complaints or arise hot and complicated spots. • Closely, timely, synchronous, effective and proactive coordination, strengthening inspection, inspection and supervision of the implementation of the tasks assigned in this plan. Praise and reward organizations and individuals effectively and strictly handle and promptly handle organizations and individuals that do not comply with or comply with regulations, fail to reach the goal of arranging and merging provincial and commune-level administrative units and organizing a 2-level local government system. • From April 16 to October 31, 2025, periodically reporting on the progress of performing tasks and projects on the Steering Committee (via the Central Organizing Committee) before 15:00 every Wednesday, for the Central Organizing Committee to synthesize, report to the Politburo and Secretariat every Friday. Also according to Plan 47, the Central Organizing Committee shall assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the concerned committees, agencies and units to help the Steering Committee: • Regularly monitor, firmly grasp the situation, participate in opinions (when necessary) in the process of implementing the steps to perform the tasks of the committees, agencies and units to ensure the schedule and policies of the Central Executive Committee, the Ministry of Politics, the Secretariat and the Steering Committee. • Timely adjust and supplement the contents, tasks and progress of implementation in the plan to ensure the
leadership and direction of the Politburo, the Secretariat and in accordance with the practical situation. ==Influence==