Parliament considers bill to establish Đồng Nai city under central authority, with effective date of April 30, 2026

Continuing the program of the First Session, the 16th National Assembly began on the morning of 20 April with hearing the Bill and the appraisal report on establishing Đồng Nai city under central authority. The proposal is assessed as having full political, legal, and practical foundations, and it opens a new development momentum for the Southeast region and the country as a whole. Under the authorization of the Prime Minister, the Minister of Home Affairs presented the Bill, which states that the establishment of Đồng Nai city has solid political grounds. Specifically, Document No. 1184-CV/VPTW dated 23 March 2026, the Politburo agreed to finalize the dossier promptly and submit to the Central Committee and the National Assembly for consideration within 2026. Subsequently, Resolution No. 03-NQ/TW of the 2nd Plenum of the 14th Central Committee (25 March 2026) approved the policy of establishing Đồng Nai city under central authority, providing a solid political basis for submission to the National Assembly at this session. Regarding legal basis, the establishment is implemented under the Law on Organization of Local Government 2025 and Resolution 112/2025/UBTVQH15 of the National Assembly's Standing Committee, which specify the conditions and standards for establishing a centrally governed city. Moreover, the Southeast Region master plan through 2030 directs Đồng Nai to become a centrally governed city, playing a driving role in linking with Ho Chi Minh City in forming a modern economic-urban space. Ensuring 5 out of 5 conditions and 7 out of 7 standards for establishing a centrally governed city. According to the Minister of Home Affairs, Đồng Nai has leveraged its geographic position, historical heritage, national defense and security, culture, and social development to become one of the country’s leading economic localities. As the coordinating hub connecting the major development corridors and the country’s largest economic center with the Western Highlands, the South Central Coast, and the Mekong Delta, with infrastructure investments including the Long Thanh International Airport under construction, Đồng Nai has all the elements of a city with high growth potential; a multi-center, multi-functional urban area with strong regional spillovers. The establishment of Đồng Nai city will provide a new development momentum not only for Đồng Nai but also for the Southern region and the country. It marks a fundamental shift in development model and local governance toward an urban governance model, making Đồng Nai a large city with shared development and mutual reinforcement with Ho Chi Minh City, aiming to become a regional growth pole and an international gateway, a model of dynamic, modern urban development, and a basis for future Southeast Region spatial planning per the Politburo conclusions. From these political, legal, and practical bases, establishing Đồng Nai city under central authority is necessary. Under the proposal presented to the National Assembly, Đồng Nai city will be established on the basis of the current natural area of 12,737.18 km2, a population of 4,491,408, and 95 district-level units of Đồng Nai province. After establishment, Đồng Nai city will not change its natural area or population; it will have 95 district-level units, including 33 wards and 62 communes. The country will have 34 provincial-level units, comprising 7 cities and 27 provinces (a reduction of 1 province, an increase of 1 city). The seat of the city government will remain unchanged. Regarding organizational alignment, the apparatus will largely retain the current structure, with new agencies established as required. For personnel arrangement, initially the current civil service roster will be maintained; Đồng Nai has a plan and timetable to adjust staffing in line with the urban governance model. The Legal and Judicial Committees’ appraisal reports endorsed the necessity of establishing Đồng Nai city under central authority based on the stated area and population, and the proposal meets the legal requirements to present to the National Assembly for consideration. On the issue of the effective date, the committees endorsed setting the effective date as 30 April 2026 to align with the National Assembly’s decision and to coordinate with the earlier resolution approving the establishment of 10 wards in Đồng Nai. In addition to endorsing the policy, the appraisal body urged Đồng Nai authorities to promptly finalize urban planning and set a concrete timetable to address urban classification standards, ensure the development of a synchronized Southeast urban system, and make Đồng Nai a truly large regional city sharing development with other provinces, creating space for the regional economy and urban development. At the same time, ensure meeting the province’s economic and social development targets, leverage advantages, and elevate Đồng Nai’s role as a regional economic hub and gateway to international integration, while maintaining a dynamic and modern urban model. The appraisal body also urged Đồng Nai authorities to continue reviewing and disposing surplus government buildings and assets and to consolidate the local government apparatus after the 2025 administrative reorganization, and to invest in training and capacity-building for civil servants to ensure the urban governance model functions effectively and serves residents. Regarding the draft National Assembly resolution, the committees endorse setting the effective date at 30 April 2026 to align with the Government’s implementation and to ensure consistency with the resolution on establishing 10 wards already approved by the Standing Committee of the National Assembly.