Legislative panel backs plan to present to the National Assembly the establishment of Dong Nai City under central government

The National Assembly’s Legislative Committee reviewed a Government proposal to establish 10 wards in Đồng Nai province and to establish Đồng Nai City under central government. Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Nguyen Khac Dinh and Committee Chair Phan Chi Hieu attended the session.

Proposal and legal basis

The proposal argues that the establishment of Đồng Nai City has political, legal, and practical grounds. The dossier states that after establishing 10 wards, Đồng Nai City would include 95 administrative units at commune level: 33 wards and 62 communes.

Minister of Home Affairs Do Thanh Binh said the plan is based on the 2025 Law on Organization of Local Government, the Urban and Rural Planning Law, and relevant urban classification resolutions, alongside national and regional planning. The Government said these frameworks provide the legal basis to reorganize administrative and urban space.

Development context and economic indicators

In macro terms, the dossier positions Đồng Nai strategically in the Southeast region. It cites that in 2025, the province’s GRDP was about 677.932 trillion VND, with revenue of over 102 trillion VND and per-capita GRDP of around 150.86 million VND, contributing roughly 5% of national GDP.

The proposal also highlights continued investment in infrastructure, manufacturing, services, and logistics networks. It identifies Long Thành International Airport as a new growth engine, supporting Đồng Nai’s role as a regional growth pole and a gateway to international integration in the south.

Scope of the reorganization

The Government proposes establishing 10 wards—Long Thành, Nhơn Trạch, Trảng Bom, Xuân Lộc, Dầu Giây, Tân Phú, Trị An, Đồng Phú, Tân Khai, and Lộc Ninh—based on existing natural areas and population.

Under the plan, Đồng Nai City would retain its overall natural area of 12,737.18 km2 and a population of 4,491,408. After the rearrangement, the city would comprise 33 wards and 62 communes, with an urbanization rate of 54.10%.

Assessment against centrally administered city standards

The committee’s assessment indicates that establishing 10 wards is a necessary condition to meet the standards for a centrally administered city. It also states that Đồng Nai would satisfy 6 out of 7 standards, including population size, area, ward ratio, urbanization, location/function and structure, and socio-economic development, while one criterion would be further refined.

Committee recommendations and next steps

The Legislative Committee supported the Government’s proposal and recommended that the National Assembly pass a resolution approving the establishment of 10 wards and Đồng Nai City under central government for submission to the National Assembly for decision.

At the conclusion of the session, participants called for prompt Government responses to finalize urban planning and address remaining gaps, with a target completion by 2028. The Chairman emphasized that the procedures and dossier comply with the law and that establishing 10 wards meets the criteria.

The committee asked the Standing Committee to finalize appraisal reports for transmission to the National Assembly and requested the Ministry of Home Affairs to prepare explanatory reports. Provincial leaders also discussed Đồng Nai’s strategic position and development trajectory.