Ninh Binh Province Completes Administrative Unit Consolidation with Public Consensus

Ninh Binh Province in Vietnam has successfully completed the consolidation of its administrative units, known as "thôn" (villages) and "tổ dân phố" (neighborhood groups), in line with central government directives and with broad consensus from the populace. This initiative aims to enhance administrative efficiency and build a stronger foundation for local development. The consolidation has reduced the total number of thôn and tổ dân phố in Ninh Binh Province from 4,482 to 1,754. This includes 1,249 thôn and 505 tổ dân phố. The restructuring is integrated with the completion of the two-tiered local government model, seeking to create a more streamlined, effective, and efficient grassroots political system. This move is expected to ensure comprehensive Party leadership, promote the people's right to self-governance, and strengthen local governance capacity. A significant achievement in this process has been the widespread agreement from the residents. Given that thôn and tổ dân phố are fundamental units where community life, culture, traditions, and intergenerational neighborly ties are intertwined, their reorganization required a careful approach. The consolidation plan considered the overall development plan of Ninh Binh Province, the orientation for urban and new rural development, economic corridors, growth poles, industrial parks, tourist areas, coastal regions, plains, and areas with unique characteristics. As a specific example, in Thanh Liem commune, 20 thôn were merged into 10. Throughout this process, local Party committees and authorities conducted extensive communication campaigns to inform residents about the purpose, significance, necessity, and benefits of the consolidation. Opinion gathering was conducted meticulously, with direct visits to households, resulting in over 99% of households endorsing the consolidation plan. This public support was a key factor in the smooth implementation of the plan. Ninh Binh Province has a comprehensive plan to reorganize thôn and tổ dân phố by 2026. Currently, many units do not meet the new population size standards. For instance, out of 1,223 tổ dân phố in 32 urban wards, over 90% have fewer than 550 households. Similarly, most of the 3,259 thôn in 97 rural communes have fewer than 400 households. These situations posed challenges for modern management needs and digital transformation. Following the consolidation, Ninh Binh Province will have 1,753 thôn and tổ dân phố (with Lý Nhân commune being an exception). This represents a reduction of 2,729 units, or approximately 60.89%, compared to the previous number. Of the consolidated units, 98.75% meet the new standards, while 1.25% do not due to specific factors such as terrain, demographics, culture, religion, transportation, or management conditions. The reorganization adhered to central government regulations while comprehensively considering the historical, cultural, ethnic, religious, customary, and geographical conditions of each locality, striving to minimize the disruption of long-established community ties. Furthermore, Ninh Binh Province is focusing on the placement and utilization of non-specialized grassroots officials who possess good qualities, community trust, practical skills, and the ability to adopt science and technology, meeting the demands of the digital transformation era. The model of the Party cell secretary also serving as the thôn or tổ dân phố leader is being encouraged to simplify the administrative apparatus and enhance leadership and operational efficiency at the grassroots level. With the decisive leadership of the Provincial Party Committee, the synchronized efforts of the entire political system, and the consensus of the people, the reorganization of thôn and tổ dân phố in Ninh Binh Province is expected to bring about positive transformations in grassroots organizational structures, contributing to the building of a modern administrative system and promoting the province's sustainable development. Source: Nhan Dan