Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on February 3 requested that ministries and agencies give Ho Chi Minh City more power to realise special development policies designated for the southern city.

The special development policies for Ho Chi Minh City are stipulated in Resolution 98/2023/QH15 which was approved by the National Assembly in June 2023. Under the resolution, the legislature permitted the city to pilot a specific mechanisms and policies relating to local development in the fields of investment management; finance and state budget; and urban, natural resources and environmental management.

Other fields which will receive incentives include priority industries to attract strategic investors; science and technology management, innovation; and organisational apparatus of the municipal administration, as well as of the satellite Thu Duc city.

More than half a year has elapsed, the implementation of the Resolution is yet to meet the expectation, with only six out of a total of 25 tasks being accomplished.

“The city has been given special mechanisms and policies, but they must still comply with current regulations, requiring close coordination from relevant ministries and agencies,” admitted leaders of the southern city.

Deputy Minister of the Interior Vu Chien Thang pointed to the fact that his ministry and the Ho Chi Minh City administration have completed a draft decree decentralising state management in a number of fields for the city. The draft decree has been sent to 13 relevant ministries for opinions, but six ministries have yet to make a response. 

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has ordered more power to be given to Ho Chi Minh City to implement the National Assembly's Resolution on special development policies for Ho Chi Minh City.

In reply, the PM said he would decentralise power he has on hand to Ho Chi Minh City, and asked relevant ministries to do the same.

“For the ministries and agencies, I request them to decentralize and devolve power to the Ho Chi Minh City administration, because the existing Take-and-Give mechanism will easily lead to negativity,” he ordered.

The PM assigned Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang to direct the completion and submission of the decree to the government for consideration in February. He also assigned Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai and Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha to deal with preparations and implementation of a number of expressway projects, including the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway, the Ho Chi Minh City - Moc Bai expressway, and the Ho Chi Minh City – Trung Luong expressway.

This is the second time the Steering Committee for implementation of the National Assembly’s Resolution has met since June 2023.

Source: VOV