Vietnam’s Trần Hồng Hà Stresses Alignment of Decentralisation in Construction and Transport

Hanoi, The Gulf Observer: Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà has underlined the importance of synchronising decentralisation in the construction and transport sectors with corresponding financial and investment mechanisms, to ensure effective governance and streamlined administrative operations.

Chairing a conference with ministries and local authorities on Thursday afternoon at the Government headquarters—held both in-person and online—Deputy PM Hà called for comprehensive and clear frameworks to implement decentralisation while avoiding overlaps and governance gaps.

Focus on Restructuring Governance

The session primarily reviewed the draft decree on decentralisation and authority delegation, especially in the context of restructuring the administrative apparatus and managing two-level local governance.

According to Minister of Construction Trần Hồng Minh, the Ministry of Construction (MoC) has examined nearly 600 legal documents and proposed 66 revisions spanning nine laws, one NA Standing Committee resolution, 28 decrees, one PM decision, and 27 circulars.

The proposed changes include:

• Transferring 90 administrative tasks from district to commune level,
• Delegating 21 tasks from the Government/Prime Minister to the Minister of Construction,
• Moving 28 functions from the MoC and its specialised agencies to local administrations, and
• Assigning one task each to provincial people’s committees and construction divisions.

Reinforcing Local Autonomy

The MoC’s proposal aims to boost local autonomy and ease central administrative burdens. Under the draft decree:

• The Central Government will retain responsibilities for railways, national defence, airspace management, and international treaties.
• In sectors like roads, the Central level will only manage special national highways.
• Urban and rural planning will see four Prime Ministerial tasks decentralised to localities, with further adjustments involving the Ministries of National Defence and Public Security.

Deputy PM Hà welcomed this direction but cautioned against decentralising tasks that require high technical capacity, qualified personnel, and dedicated infrastructure—such as disease prevention, disaster response, and defence-related matters.

Local Feedback and Needs

Local representatives echoed the importance of clarity, especially around:

• Job positions and staffing at commune or ward levels,
• Capacity to undertake responsibilities in construction, housing management, traffic infrastructure, and urban development,
• Conditions for transferring tasks across governance levels.

They also highlighted the decree’s crucial role in adapting governance under the new two-level local model.

Next Steps and Guidance

In closing, Deputy PM Hà instructed the MoC to:

• Finalise the draft decrees, defining clear boundaries of authority,
• Review and harmonise provisions with amended laws effective from July 1, 2025, including the Law on Government Organization,
• Engage further with localities to fine-tune principles and criteria for task delegation, particularly for multi-commune projects or initiatives requiring high expertise.

He also urged local authorities to proactively review and submit feedback to ensure that the decentralisation plan aligns with both legal mandates and practical realities.

The implementation of these measures is expected to empower local governments, reduce central bottlenecks, and create a more responsive and resilient governance structure across Vietnam’s construction and transport sectors.