Da Nang City Streamlines Administrative Units to Enhance Governance Efficiency

Da Nang City, a major urban center in central Vietnam, has completed the restructuring of its administrative units, entering a phase focused on enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of grassroots governance. This reform, mandated by central government directives, aims to streamline community organizations, strengthen their role as an "extended arm" of the government, and provide better services closer to the people. Prior to the restructuring, Da Nang had 1,076 villages and 3,079 residential groups. Many of these units were smaller than the prescribed standards, leading to dispersed resources and inefficient staffing. Specifically, 45.4% of villages had fewer than 300 households, and 94.8% of residential groups had fewer than 450 households. Following the reorganization, the city now has 724 villages and 732 residential groups, a reduction of 2,699 units in total. Consequently, local Party cells (chi bộ) also decreased from 2,444 to 1,456, a reduction of 988. For instance, in Dien Ban Tay commune, the number of villages was reduced from 30 to 12. In the central Hai Chau ward, 332 residential groups were consolidated into 51, all meeting the central government's minimum requirement of 450 households. This process also led to the reassignment of many non-professional cadres and Party members active at the local level. The restructuring is intended not only to consolidate organizations but also to ensure community stability, reinforce the Party's leadership role, promote resident self-governance, and maintain the connection between the government and the people. Leaders in Hai Chau ward emphasized that this process is crucial for community stability and development, extending beyond mere organizational integration. The Da Nang City People's Council approved a resolution outlining the number, positions, benefits, and policies for non-professional officials and participants in the reorganized villages and residential groups. This is projected to save approximately 324 billion Vietnamese dong annually. The reform is expected to strengthen grassroots governance, bring the government closer to the people, and facilitate the timely resolution of community issues. The Deputy Director of the Department of Home Affairs stated that this large-scale restructuring will have extensive impacts on the entire grassroots political system. The approach prioritizes community stability as a foundation and resident consensus as the goal, aiming for streamlined organizations, the establishment of appropriately sized communities, enhanced utilization of resident resources, and improved quality of grassroots governance. Source: Nhan Dan