Dong Nai expected to become Vietnam's seventh centrally administered city on April 30

Dong Nai is set to become Vietnam’s seventh centrally administered city after the Standing Committee of the National Assembly approved a draft resolution on the afternoon of April 14, with 100% attendance. The resolution covers the establishment of 10 wards in Dong Nai province and the formation of Dong Nai City as a centrally administered city. It will be submitted to the National Assembly (Session 1 of the 16th tenure) for consideration and final decision, based on the current status of the province’s People’s Court and People’s Procuracy.

Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Khac Dinh said the Standing Committee agreed to set the effective date of the resolutions for April 30, aligning with the 51st anniversary of the South’s liberation and national unification. He also urged Dong Nai to prepare the necessary administrative dossiers so the city can begin operating immediately when the resolutions take effect. For citizens’ and enterprises’ documents, if they have not yet been converted, they will remain valid; if conversion is required, the province will cover related costs.

Administrative restructuring and new city structure

After the rearrangement, Dong Nai City will have 95 commune-level administrative units, including 33 wards and 62 communes, with an urbanization rate of 54.10%. If approved, Vietnam will have 34 provincial-level units in total, comprising 7 cities and 27 provinces, making Dong Nai the seventh centrally administered city nationwide.

Proposed establishment of 10 wards

The government proposal includes establishing 10 wards in Dong Nai: Long Thanh, Nhon Trach, Trang Bom, Xuan Loc, Dau Giay, Tan Phu, Tri An, Dong Phu, Tan Khai, and Loc Ninh. The plan is based on the current natural area and population of the ten communes bearing those names in Dong Nai province.

The proposal also aims to preserve existing offices, organizational structures, and civil servants. Dong Nai has prepared a roadmap to adjust personnel to match the urban governance model. The government states that Dong Nai and the ten proposed wards meet all five ward standards. For Dong Nai City, five of seven standards have been met, while the remaining two standards—related to the proportion of wards and urban classification—are expected to be completed after the Standing Committee approves the establishment of the 10 wards and allows a special mechanism in urban classification.

Development focus and investment outlook

In addition to the administrative changes, the article highlights the Long Thanh Airport mega project as a growth engine for services, logistics, and aviation. Dong Nai is also preparing plans to attract infrastructure investment, bring in enterprises, and train human resources.