(Haiphong.gov.vn) — On the afternoon of April 18, the Standing Committee of the Hai Phong City Party Committee held a working session with the Standing Committee of the Hai Duong Provincial Party Committee to discuss and agree on a number of matters concerning implementation of the conclusions of the Politburo, the Party Central Committee Secretariat and central documents on merging Hai Duong Province with Hai Phong City, as well as reorganizing commune-level administrative units in the two localities. The session was co-chaired by Mr. Le Tien Chau, Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Hai Phong City Party Committee and Head of the Hai Phong National Assembly Delegation, and Mr. Tran Duc Thang, Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Hai Duong Provincial Party Committee.
Hai Duong Province and Hai Phong City share deep historical, cultural, geographic and socioeconomic ties. In recent years, the two localities have actively directed and implemented cooperation and connectivity in key areas, including transport infrastructure, industry and trade, tourism, agriculture, political security, and social order and safety, achieving positive results and continuing to affirm their role as a growth engine for the region. Therefore, the policy of merging the two localities into a centrally administered city is sound and strategically significant in the context of the country entering a new era of development. It will maximize their potential and advantages, build a comprehensive development center, and move toward the country’s third special-class urban area after Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. After the merger, the two localities would cover 3,195 km², with an economy ranking third nationwide.
At the session, leaders of the two localities discussed and agreed on a number of matters concerning implementation of the conclusions of the Politburo, the Party Central Committee Secretariat and the Resolution of the 11th Plenum of the 13th Party Central Committee on arranging provincial- and commune-level administrative units and building a two-tier local government model. These matters included information and communications, dissemination and study of the resolutions, monitoring public and citizen sentiment regarding the central policy on merging Hai Duong Province and Hai Phong City, and reorganizing commune-level administrative units.
They also discussed organizing and effectively implementing, with quality and on schedule, the Project on merging Hai Duong Province and Hai Phong City; the procedures, process and timeline through its submission to the central authorities; and the expected arrangement of commune-level administrative units in the two localities. The parties exchanged views and agreed on coordination in preparing documents for the 2025–2030 Party Congresses, the planned location of offices for Party, government and mass organizations of the new provincial-level administrative unit, and a number of socioeconomic development targets. They also discussed public-service housing, transport connectivity, and several socioeconomic development targets.
Speaking at the session, Mr. Tran Duc Thang, Secretary of the Hai Duong Provincial Party Committee, highly valued the close, constructive coordination in preparing to implement the central policy on reorganizing the apparatus and the proposed merger of Hai Duong Province and Hai Phong City. Close coordination, joint investment and construction, efforts to promote socioeconomic development, and the outstanding results achieved by each locality in recent years are important foundations and drivers for the new administrative unit to continue developing comprehensively and sustainably after the merger. Both localities have promptly prepared the necessary contents for the merger in accordance with regulations and principles.
The Secretary of the Hai Duong Provincial Party Committee basically agreed with the draft work-coordination plan between the Standing Committee of the Hai Phong City Party Committee and the Standing Committee of the Hai Duong Provincial Party Committee for developing and implementing the Project on merging Hai Duong Province and Hai Phong City. He also asked the Standing Committees and leaders of the departments and sectors to focus their comments on the draft merger project prepared by Hai Phong City so that it could soon be finalized accurately and to a high standard, creating the broadest possible consensus before reporting to the central authorities. Regarding preparation for the Party Congress after the merger, he said documents should be prepared on schedule, ensuring consistency in content, form, criteria and development orientations for the next term.
He asked the People’s Committees of the two localities to proactively coordinate and agree on arrangements for offices of Party, government and mass organizations at the new provincial level, ensuring convenience, economy and efficiency; pay attention to policies supporting accommodation and travel for cadres, civil servants and public employees; agree on policies related to the merger and solutions to promote socioeconomic development; and develop key socioeconomic targets for the initial period after the merger, creating a foundation for the merged Hai Phong City to develop in line with the orientations set by the central authorities.
Speaking at the session, Mr. Le Tien Chau, Secretary of the Hai Phong City Party Committee, emphasized that the merger was not only an implementation of the central authorities’ leadership and direction but also an opportunity to open up new development space and optimize the resources of the two localities to build a new city serving as a modern industrial, service and logistics center, developing sustainably and continuing to improve residents’ lives. The session reached a high level of consensus, providing an important basis for carrying out the next tasks. He asked the two localities to continue strengthening communications and information work to build broad consensus among cadres, Party members and the people on reorganizing the apparatus, organizing a two-tier local government and merging Hai Duong Province with Hai Phong City.
The City Party Committee Secretary assigned the Hai Phong City People’s Committee Party Committee to coordinate with the Hai Duong Provincial People’s Committee Party Committee to urgently finalize the draft Project on merging Hai Duong Province with Hai Phong City. The Hai Phong City Party Committee Office will coordinate with the Hai Duong Provincial Party Committee Office to receive delegates’ comments and finalize specific tasks for implementing the coordination plan between the two Party Standing Committees.
Alongside agreeing on orientations for locating offices of Party, government and mass organizations of the new provincial-level administrative unit, the City Party Committee Secretary said the two localities would urgently study and develop a suitably scaled transport route connecting Hai Phong City and Hai Duong Province, facilitating travel for cadres and residents and promoting socioeconomic development.
Secretary Le Tien Chau also agreed to assign tasks to agencies and units for coordinating the preparation of documents and organizing the 2025–2030 City Party Congress. He noted that, while preparing well for the merger of the two localities, they must also focus on successfully meeting socioeconomic development targets, review and resolve matters to ensure connectivity, and avoid interruptions in carrying out their duties.
At the session, the Standing Committee of the Hai Phong City Party Committee and the Standing Committee of the Hai Duong Provincial Party Committee signed a coordination plan for developing and implementing the Project on merging Hai Duong Province and Hai Phong City. Under the plan, the two local Party Standing Committees agreed to assign the standing bodies of the Party Committees of the two provinces and cities to establish a working group to advise and assist the two Party Standing Committees in developing and implementing the merger project. They will coordinate direction for organizing the City Party Congress for the 2025–2030 term after the merger in accordance with central directives and the documents of the two local Party Committees. The Hai Phong City Party Committee Office will lead and coordinate with the Hai Duong Provincial Party Committee Office as the standing body of the working group. The working group will operate from April 22, 2025./.
Source: Hai Phong City Electronic Information Portal