Hanoi seen from above (Photo Le Anh Dung)

The Hanoi People’s Committee has released a draft statement on the financial support to be given to chairs and deputy chairs of ward People’s Councils, chairs and deputy chairs of ward People’s Committees, and civil servants who will leave when the new model is applied on a trial basis.

Hanoi now has 175 wards belonging to 12 districts and one town. Before piloting the urban administration model, the total number of chairs and deputy chairs of People’s Councils and People’s Committees was 3,535.

The figure included 172 chairs of People’s Council, 116 deputy chairs, 168 chairs of People’s Committees and 331 deputy chairs. There were 831 officers in different positions and more than 1,900 ward civil servants.

Hanoi began implementing the pilot urban administration model in early July with no people’s council at ward level. As many as 58 persons who were chairs and deputy chairs of People’s Council, and chairs and deputy chairs of People’s Committee have left or changed agencies.

Of these, 21 persons (11 chairs and 9 deputy chairs of People’s Council, and 1 deputy chair of People’s Committee) have to leave because they have become redundant. They have not been appointed to new posts, and cannot satisfy the requirements for an appointment or shift to wards’ civil servant positions.

Hanoi has proposed a 3-month-salary allowance for these 21 cases, totaling VND388 million. The money would come from the wards and towns’ budgets for salary reforms.

The tentative policy is expected to be submitted to the People’s Council for consideration and approval at the meeting this year end.

On November 27, 2019, the National Assembly approved a resolution on piloting a new urban administration model in Hanoi.

Under the resolution, People’s Council in 177 wards in 12 districts and Son Tay town from 2016 – 2021 will be abolished. The local authorities at ward level will only have people’s committees, while the local authorities at other levels will still have both a people’s council and people’s committee.

The new urban administration model will help streamline the government apparatus. Also, it helps more clearly define the leaders’ responsibilities, reduce the payroll and save the budget.

Districts and towns have appointed some chairs and deputy chairs of people’s councils to other posts. Some of them have been admitted to the civil service system without having to attend exams. 

Huong Quynh

Urban governance model piloted in Hanoi

Hanoi began piloting an urban governance model on July 1 in all wards of its 12 districts and Son Tay township under a National Assembly resolution, in which People’s Councils at the ward and commune levels will no longer exist.