Vinh Trach Commune in Ca Mau Province: Revitalizing Local Governance Through Citizen-Centric Reforms

Vinh Trach Commune in Ca Mau Province, Vietnam, has been recognized as a dynamic and innovative local administrative unit, enhancing its services to the people over a year after the merger of its local government bodies. The commune, home to approximately 43,000 residents, including a significant Khmer and Hoa minority population (over 10% and nearly 9% respectively), has recently been designated as a minority ethnic region and a safe zone from the resistance war period. According to Mr. Le Van Phuong, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the Commune People's Committee, the local authorities have strived to meet new demands and improve citizen services. Notably, the commune has implemented two innovative models: 'Home Visits for Citizen Services' and 'Mobile Administrative Services.' These initiatives are designed to be closer to the people and more responsive to individual complaints and feedback, receiving widespread approval and support from both officials and residents. An example of this approach involved residents whose homes were relocated for a major provincial infrastructure project. Mr. Ngo Van Hoa (54 years old, resident of Khóm 8), shared his sentiments about leaving his long-cherished home. However, he stated, "Although compensation was provided, having to dismantle our home and move elsewhere is naturally regrettable. However, to serve the province's major project, and with key commune leaders personally visiting our home, listening to our thoughts and aspirations, and offering timely encouragement, my family has agreed to hand over the site so the transportation project can proceed on schedule." Similarly, the Vinh Trach Commune Police have launched the 'Friday Evening Community Outreach' program, which has initially yielded good results and garnered praise from the community. Every Friday, police officers visit poor and near-poor households to offer support, understand their living conditions and health, and identify challenges for potential solutions. They also conduct legal awareness campaigns on topics such as combating gambling, preventing drug abuse, and assist residents with procedures for obtaining national identification cards and activating digital identity accounts. These efforts aim to promote digital transformation and enhance the efficiency of administrative reforms. The commune's Party Committee aims to achieve a per capita income of VND 155 million by 2030, a 37.65% increase compared to 2025, and to essentially eliminate poor households. The commune aims to be largely free of poverty by 2030. However, alongside these encouraging initial results, practical realities highlight remaining limitations, difficulties, and shortcomings. These include a large and complex workload, numerous tasks assigned from district and city levels to the commune level, with some regulations being inconsistent or overlapping. Furthermore, officials have not always been able to adapt promptly to new positions, and the majority of non-specialized staff in neighborhood groups lack formal training and possess limited IT skills, posing challenges for directive and operational efficiency. Mr. Ngo Hieu Dan, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the Commune People's Council, stated, "In the coming time, the Commune's Party Committee and People's Committee will continue to prioritize rapid, sustainable, and comprehensive economic development across all sectors. We will focus on building a clean and strong Party and political system, and further streamline the organizational structure to be more compact, effective, and efficient, meeting the commune's development needs in this new phase." Article and photos by: TRONG DUY Editor-in-Chief: Le Quoc Minh Headquarters: 71 Hang Trong - Hanoi. Tel: (84) 24 382 54231/382 54232 Fax: (84) 24 382 55593. E-mail: [email protected]