Ho Chi Minh City proposes converting 29 communes into wards

Ho Chi Minh City is moving forward with a plan to transform 29 of its communes into wards, a move that will not alter the city's total number of commune-level administrative units but will change their classification. The proposal, submitted by the municipal People's Committee to the City People's Council, aims to establish these new wards while preserving the existing boundaries of the communes.

Out of the city's 54 communes, 29 have been identified as meeting the nine stringent criteria required for ward establishment. These criteria include a population of at least 21,000 people and a natural area of 5.5 square kilometers or more. Additionally, the proposed wards must have defined functions within approved urban planning, an urban population ratio of at least 50%, and local government revenue exceeding expenditure by 100% or more.

The plan also considers other standards such as the proportion of industry, construction, and services in the Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) reaching at least 70%, and the proportion of non-agricultural labor at 70%. Furthermore, the average per capita income over the past three years must be higher than the city's average, and the poverty rate must be lower than the city's overall rate during the same period.

The Standing Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee had previously agreed to the policy of establishing urban administrative units for these 29 communes on June 12. Following this, the Department of Home Affairs drafted the proposal and the resolution for the City People's Council. If the council approves the plan, the city will still have 168 commune-level administrative units, but the composition will shift to 142 wards, 25 communes, and 1 special zone, reflecting an increase of 29 wards and a corresponding decrease in communes.