Why Vietnam is removing an entire level of government in a radical political reform
Vietnam has approved major reforms to its political structure and eliminated the district level of government.
This is part of efforts to cut public spending and reshape the country’s administration.
The change, passed unanimously by the National Assembly on June 16, will leave Vietnam with only two levels of government instead of three: provinces and communes.
It follows other cost-cutting reforms this year, including merging provinces and cities, reducing the number of ministries, and slashing tens of thousands of public sector jobs.
The government says the restructuring is necessary for Vietnam to reach middle-income status by 2030 and support long-term development.
The number of communes will also be reduced from more than 10,000 to about 3,300, a move that could eliminate another 120,000 part-time roles.
This comes as Vietnam pushes for leaner governance amid global economic pressure and ongoing trade negotiations with the United States.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
