The recent administrative restructuring, described as “reorganizing the nation,” marks not only a redrawing of boundaries, but a historic move in Vietnam’s long journey toward a modern, citizen-centered governance model. It embodies a bold vision: to reform state power structures in ways that truly serve the people.

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The administrative boundary restructuring holds strategic significance as it creates an organizational structure aligned with the current scale of development. Photo: Thao Nguyen

The decision to merge provinces and streamline local government at all levels represents a long-term political and institutional choice. It signals the beginning of a new chapter in perfecting the state apparatus and aligning the political system with the goal of creating a lean, effective, modern, and people-oriented administration.

In an era of globalization, digital transformation, and intense global competition, Vietnam must build a power structure capable of responding swiftly and effectively. The traditional model - fragmented, multi-layered, and often functionally symbolic - cannot keep pace with large-scale urban societies that now operate on data, digital infrastructure, and interconnected systems.

Looking back on 95 years of revolution, 80 years of statehood, and 40 years of economic reform, it’s clear that reformist courage is deeply rooted in the Vietnamese national identity.

Just as the 1986 Doi Moi (reforms) unleashed economic potential, today’s administrative overhaul serves as a second, critical step: reorganizing state power to build a governance model where authority is consolidated, transparently supervised, and geared toward public service.

Strategic significance

Speaking at the ceremony announcing the National Assembly’s resolution on province mergers and new party leadership appointments on June 30, 2025, Party General Secretary To Lam declared that the reform is a historic and strategic step. It reflects a new phase in building a streamlined, effective, and modern administrative apparatus - one that serves the people and ensures all benefits belong to them.

Reorganizing administrative boundaries has deep strategic value. Many current provincial or district borders no longer align with patterns of population movement, economic distribution, urban infrastructure, or modern investment needs.

When each district or commune functions like a “closed unit,” resources become fragmented, planning disjointed, and growth space constrained. The new structure breaks through historical stagnation and paves the way for governance based on growth clusters and functional regions - not outdated geographic lines.

Crucially, this reform leads to genuine streamlining. It’s not just about cutting administrative units or staff - it’s about eliminating redundant tiers, redirecting resources into public services, and improving state responsiveness. Fewer bureaucratic layers mean quicker decisions, lower social costs, and a better environment for businesses and citizens.

It also redefines administrative culture: shifting from a “request–approval–wait” model to one of “serve–coordinate–resolve.”

Moreover, restructuring strengthens the cohesion of the political system. When Party organizations, governments, and mass unions are aligned with new administrative units, leadership remains unified - while real power is delegated downward. A political system only functions effectively when it grants adequate room for action but enforces clear accountability through transparency and oversight.

Current challenges and future tasks

Initial progress cannot obscure the real challenges ahead. Administrative reform does not automatically transform governance culture. In many areas, old systems persist: outdated mindsets, misaligned operations, and local interest groups resist real decentralization. Enlarged units also bring more complex demands: rising populations, service expectations, and social scrutiny.

Digital readiness is another major challenge. Administrative reform today is inseparable from digital transformation. A modern government running on old methods will soon grind to a halt. Digital infrastructure must be unified, data must flow freely, and civil servants must be tech-savvy. Many provinces still see digital reform as a tool for document handling - not as a foundation for restructuring governance.

To succeed, Vietnam must go beyond just reconfiguring administrative maps. It must transform the Party’s organizational model, the civil service, and its method of serving the people.

Decentralization must be tied to accountability: where there is power, there must be budget transparency, planning disclosure, and performance reporting. Every province must make data-driven decisions, build smart urban governance platforms, and publish real-time performance metrics.

At the same time, civil servants must be retrained for the new era - legally astute, digitally competent, responsive to the public, and data-driven rather than experience-bound.

Though early in implementation, reality already shows that when reform is done right, it can deliver tangible improvements: faster decision-making, better planning, and more transparent service.

The road ahead is long. Success lies not in issuing resolutions, but in transforming leadership thinking, administrative culture, and accountability norms. Vietnam’s future depends on converting institutional reform into real governance capacity - where every benefit belongs to and is delivered to the people.

Six months after the merger: key figures

Over 170 legal and guidance documents have been issued to implement the two-tier local governance model.

2,615 billion VND (approx. $107 million) has been allocated to 27 localities in the second phase to upgrade facilities and equipment for commune-level units.

Localities have completed leadership appointments for People’s Committees and Councils. 466 provincial departments and 9,916 commune-level offices are now operational.

As of December 2025, nearly 4,000 officials have been reassigned to commune-level posts, with Hanoi alone accounting for over 1,200. Other provinces with large shifts include An Giang, Can Tho, Bac Ninh, and Phu Tho.

Among 949 tasks devolved to local governments, 584 (61.5%) are considered feasible under current conditions, while 355 (37.4%) require new legal or guiding documents. Ten tasks (1%) need authority adjustments.

From July to November, 34 provinces processed 21.8 million administrative records - up 5.9 million from the previous period. Of these, 18.4 million were submitted online, including 13.4 million at the commune level.

The rate of administrative records processed on time or early at local levels reached 92.78%.

Source: Ministry of Home Affairs, data from June 1 to December 3, 2025

Dr. Dinh Van Minh
Former Director, Legal Department, Government Inspectorate of Vietnam