On July 1, 2025, all 34 new provincial-level administrative units officially began operating, a reduction of 29 units from the previous total. This momentous “reorganization of the country” has gained support from all sections of society—a favorable foundation for success. As General Secretary To Lam reiterated in his June 29, 2025 article, “The Power of Unity”: “Without the people, even something a hundred times easier cannot be done; with the people’s efforts, even something ten thousand times harder can be accomplished.” When the people agree and all levels are united, no force can subdue our nation.

Communication efforts by Party committees and government authorities at all levels have recently made clear that the policy of reorganizing administrative units and establishing a two-tier local government model is a major revolution of strategic importance initiated by the central leadership.

On this issue, “the Party’s will” and “the people’s aspirations” have become closely aligned.

The core objective of this policy is to expand development space for provinces and cities and leverage the leading role of growth-driving regions, economic corridors, and growth poles. It prioritizes reorganizing administrative units in mountainous and lowland areas together with coastal areas, combining neighboring localities harmoniously and appropriately in line with development requirements and directions so they can support one another and jointly advance socioeconomic development, while meeting the requirements and directions for the country’s rapid, sustainable development in the new period.

General Secretary To Lam speaks at the ceremony announcing central and local Resolutions and Decisions on merging provincial- and commune-level administrative units, ending the operation of district-level administrative units, establishing Party organizations, and appointing Party committees, People’s Councils, People’s Committees, and Vietnam Fatherland Front Committees for Ho Chi Minh City and its communes, wards, and special zones.

Experience shows that, after nearly 40 years of renewal, the spatial organization of the country’s development has begun to reveal limitations. Development space is fragmented along administrative boundaries; regional linkages remain inadequate in many respects; development investment is spread thinly rather than concentrating resources to establish clearly defined growth-driving regions that spearhead and lead national economic growth; and a coordinated, modern national infrastructure framework has yet to take shape…

The main causes of this situation are a development mindset that spreads efforts too thinly, without clear priorities or focal areas; a lack of comprehensive national planning to clearly define a spatial development model across the country; a lack of mechanisms and policies to promote cross-sectoral and interregional economic development; and persistent local parochialism.

“Reorganizing the country” is by no means easy or simple, given its nature and scale. Success requires, first and foremost, unity and consensus among all the people.

People will support this effort if they clearly understand that it is an urgent and inevitable requirement to redefine natural and economic development space, drawing on historical, cultural, and geographical connections to form an administrative-economic entity of sufficient scale. This will broaden development horizons while reforming and strengthening governance capacity, enabling the entity to be highly competitive and integrate into national and global value chains.

We have achieved initial success as people have come to understand that reorganizing administrative units enables localities and the country to save funds and develop more evenly, while creating new economic centers. It also advances the goals of establishing digital government and digital governance, developing smart cities and integrated economic regions, and creating flexible administration that processes administrative transactions quickly and transparently, saving people and businesses time and money in keeping with the principle that businesses and the people must receive better service.

“Reorganizing the country” is a step toward efficiently organizing national development space, establishing intraregional and interregional linkages, and harnessing each region’s comparative advantages. First, investment will concentrate on selected areas with favorable geographical locations, economic and social infrastructure, high-quality human resources, and other development potential and advantages to form growth-driving regions and economic corridors. These growth poles will then generate spillover effects that promote rapid, efficient, and sustainable economic development nationwide. At the same time, mechanisms, policies, and resources appropriate to the economy’s conditions will ensure social welfare in disadvantaged areas and gradually narrow gaps between regions.

Merging provincial-level administrative units is also a way to use the country’s resources efficiently and economically, particularly its land, water, forests, and minerals.

Recent communication and education efforts have also reached deep into people’s thoughts and feelings, helping them feel understood and voluntarily put their love for the country as a whole above their affection for their own hometowns. The vast majority of people understand that decisions about merging or consolidating one province with another and planning the location of provincial capitals are thoroughly examined and carefully weighed by the central leadership and relevant authorities, taking many factors into account to achieve sustainable, long-term development.

People also understand that the naming of new administrative units results from thorough research and careful consideration of traditional, historical, and cultural factors. Priority is given to using one of the names of the provinces before their merger or consolidation as the new province’s name, minimizing the impact on people and businesses from having to change documents, geographical indications, and so forth.

Concern about “losing our home province’s name” is a natural human feeling. Yet the national vision and the country’s paramount interests take precedence over all such “localist” concerns.

By now, most people are no longer heavily burdened by concerns about “losing our province’s name,” “no longer having districts,” or “our commune being absorbed”…

Emphasizing the importance of unity at this moment, General Secretary To Lam issued this appeal: At this stage, as the entire country has been implementing the policy of reorganizing and streamlining the organizational apparatus of the political system, merging administrative units, “reorganizing the country,” and organizing space for the country’s sustainable development, the spirit of unity must be promoted more strongly than ever. With the Party’s strategic vision and steadfast leadership, we are determined to preserve and harness the strength of great national unity, regarding it as the “wellspring” and the “unifying thread” throughout our efforts, ensuring that all Party and State guidelines and policies are implemented thoroughly, consistently, and effectively to best fulfill all legitimate aspirations of the people.

Article and photos: Ky Anh Nguyen, Vietnam News Agency, and Department of Communications

This is an automated translation. If you notice any errors, please contact the Department of Communications, National Economics University at phongtruyenthong@neu.edu.vn.