HCM City (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City must ensure transparent governance before establishing a “newcity within a city” from the proposed merger of three districts,experts said at a seminar in the city on December 9.

The NationalAssembly’s Standing Committee on the same day passed a resolution toestablish new Thu Duc city, which would include three existing districts,namely 2, 9 and Thu Duc.

Atthe seminar organised by the HCM City University of Law, Associate Prof. Dr.Vu Van Nhiem, chairman of the university’s council, said the establishment ofthe tentatively named Thu Duc city must make clear what benefitsit would bring to residents, enterprises and the city and central governments. 

The new ThuDuc administration must be simple and efficient, he said.

Although anurban administrative model is common in megacities around the world, there is“no legal basis” for it in Vietnam.

HCM City isthe first centrally-run city in the country to implement an urbanadministrative model to bring into practice the “city within a city” model. 

Becausethe new city would be equivalent to a district-level unit under thecurrent law, HCM City must ask the Government and the National Assembly toallow higher autonomy for “the new city”, he said.

AssociateProf. Dr. Do Minh Khoi, head of the university’s Faculty of Law and StateAdministration’s Department of State and Law Theory, said the proposal toestablish Thu Duc city was “unprecedented” in the country and wouldrequire “extensive study”.

Theestablishment of the city would require amendments in urban planning andconstruction laws, he added.

HCM Cityis faced with problems related to pollution, traffic congestion, andlack of affordable housing, among others. The city must resolvethese problems and ensure transparent governance, he said.

Le Minh Duc,deputy head of the Legal Department of the HCM City People’s Council, said thenew city could face challenges such as social crimes and insecurity andother problems related to administrative papers for citizens.Land speculation causing a surge in land prices and illegal constructionwould also be critical issues.

He pointedout that the city’s current resources were still insufficient to build the“innovation district” in the city’s eastern part. “An appropriate roadmapis needed to ensure the establishment of this new city.” 

Huynh Khac Diep,Chief of the HCM City Party Committee’s Office, said the People’sCommittee is writing a draft proposal on enhancing thepower of the new city government and creating betterconditions for it to develop strongly.

Lawmakerslast month approved a resolution to eliminate People’s Councils atdistrict and ward levels in the city. The newly passed resolutionstipulates that administrative organisation at the municipal levelwould comprise a People’s Committee and People’s Council. However,there would only be People’s Committees at the district and ward levels.

Theorganisation of other administrative units in the city is subject to theLaw on Local Government Organisation.

Theresolution takes effect next year and the implementation of new urbanadministrative models in HCM City will begin from July 2021.

Theeastern districts of 2, 9, and Thu Duc would be merged into oneadministrative unit.

To build thenew city, HCM City authorities need to seek advice from foreign expertsand investors, including technology, finance and real estate companies,experts have said. 

The cityshould study the experiences of major cities in other countries, including thePudong area in Shanghai (China) and Gangnam in Seoul (the Republic of Korea),and propose policies for a creative ecosystem and improvedcompetitiveness, they said. 

The city’sadministration has established a steering committee led by Nguyen ThanhPhong, Chairman of the city People’s Committee, which will develop a masterplan for the development of the new city.

The masterplan includes strategies for a knowledge-based economy that promotes ahighly skilled workforce.

Thecommittee plans to develop a centralised urban database with data aboutland use, transportation, canals and other works in the three districts.

Experts havesaid the new Thu Duc city should be designed to attract moreinvestment while promoting globalisation and maintaining local culture,appealing to a talented workforce from around the world. 

Thu Duc city would bespread over 211sq.km and be home to more than one millionpeople./.