Hanoi (VNA) 📖– The Government has proposed converting 11 island districts into special zones under their respective provinces, namely Van Don, Co To, Cat Hai, Truong Sa, Hoang Sa, Phu Quy, Kien Hai, Bach Long Vi, Con Co, Ly Son and Con Dao.

The proposal, grounded in extensive research, aims to eliminate the intermediate district level and re-arrange commune-level administrative units to form new communes, wards, and special zones. This streamlined model seeks to bring administrations closer to residents, ensuring more responsive and efficient governance. Under the restructuring plan, merged wards will retain their ward status, while consolidated communes or towns will be classified as communes. Notably, the Government has approved, in principle, separating Tho Chau commune from Phu Quoc city in the southern province of Kien Giang to establish Tho Chau as a standalone district, paving the way for both Phu Quoc and Tho Chau to become special zones. Exemptions from mandatory restructuring apply to geographically isolated commune-level units, those with limited connectivity, or areas critical to national defence, security, and sovereignty.

The provincial People’s Committees are tasked with developing tailored restructuring plans to reduce commune-level units nationwide by 60-70%. The plans must reflect the unique characteristics of each locality, whether rural or urban, coastal or island, mountainous, highland, border region, or ethnic minority area. After the rearrangement, wards in centrally-run cities will have a minimum population of 45,000, while those in mountainous, highland, or border areas will have at least 15,000 residents. Other wards must have 21,000 or more residents and a minimum natural area of 5.5 sq.km. The mergence involving three or more commune-level units into a single commune or ward will be exempt from criteria evaluations./.