The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee discussed a draft resolution on developing the central city of Da Nang to 2030 and vision to 2045 at its 44th session on April 24.

An overview of the meeting (Source: VNA)

Deputies agreed it is essential to issue a resolution piloting several mechanisms and policies in a range of fields that are different from existing laws so they conform with Da Nang’s development requirements, thus helping the city have more opportunities to mobilise resources, post more rapid and sustainable growth, and make a bigger contribution to the country’s socioeconomic development and State budget.

Delivering a Government report, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung said the Government proposed piloting an urban government model in the central city.

The city-level government comprises of a people’s council and a people’s committee as regulated in the Law on Local Government Organisation.

A regulation piloting the end of district and ward people’s councils will come into being when their 2016-2021 tenure end, while people’s committees for the 2016-2021 tenure will continue working until those for the new tenure are established.

A district people’s committee performs its duties and power as stipulated in the Law on Local Government Organisation and other relevant laws.

Ward people’s committees consist of a chairperson, one or two vice chairpersons, a police chief, and a commander of the ward military command.

According to Minister Dung, a pilot on ending people’s councils in seven districts and 45 wards was implemented during the 2009-2016 period and produced positive results. The organisational structure of districts and wards has become more compact, with faster and smoother operations.

Chairman of the NA’s Finance - Budget Committee Nguyen Duc Hai said that most members agreed with the need to issue the NA Resolution.

Some suggested, however, that the pilot on organising the urban government model as well as specific mechanisms and policies for Da Nang city need careful consideration to ensure consistency with other cities to create a unified and synchronous legal basis for implementation and monitoring.

NA Vice Chairman Uong Chu Luu emphasised the necessity of a mechanism to help Da Nang grow further, as the city is developing dynamically and serves as a driving force for the central and central highlands region.

Organising the urban government model in Da Nang is suitable, as it has only seven districts and one island district.

Meanwhile, NA Vice Chairman Do Ba Ty said the draft resolution needs to make clear the characteristics of Da Nang compared with other centrally-run cities as well as its central role in the central and central highlands region.

As Da Nang holds an especially important position in terms of defence and security, the resolution needs to add assessments on how the urban government model affects defence and security issues, he added.