Deputy Chairwoman of the Hanoi People's Committee Vu Thu Ha on June 23 held a working session with Gia Lam District to review the implementation of commune-level administrative unit reorganization.

She also heads Working Group No.5, which oversees the guidance and implementation of this effort across the city.

At the meeting, Deputy Chairman of the Gia Lam District People's Committee Truong Van Hoc noted that the district faces challenges due to the large number of newly issued documents and the high volume of work, which has affected progress.

He highlighted the lack of clear regulations regarding the functioning of professional divisions within the new communes and pointed out that existing commune offices do not meet current standards, requiring the use of multiple existing office sites for a single new commune.

Hoc requested the city to issue early decisions on early retirement policies for grassroots-level officials affected by the reorganization, thus allowing the district to better allocate job positions and finalize staffing plans.

He also called for guidance on the decentralization of powers to ensure the new communes are ready to operate effectively by July 1.

The Gia Lam leader also asked the Hanoi People's Committee and the Hanoi Police Department to inspect and guide the relocation of police offices in Thien Duc and Phu Son communes to newly approved sites.

This would allow the reallocation of facilities for the new Phu Dong and Thuan An commune administrations to ensure sufficient workspace for staff.

The city was also asked to instruct departments to help issue a list of commune-level administrative procedures and corresponding workflows.

This would enable the new communes to implement internal procedures in line with ISO standards starting July 1, 2025.

Additionally, coordination regulations should be developed to streamline interagency processing of administrative tasks across different geographic jurisdictions.

Deputy Chairman Duong Viet Cuong of the Gia Lam District People's Committe requested specific directives on the role and structure of new commune-level steering committees, particularly regarding fire prevention, disaster response, and rescue operations.

Hoang Tien Dung, Head of the district Finance Department, cited difficulties in assigning staff and allocating equipment to the new Bat Trang Commune office, especially in the health and education sectors, where staff shortages remain in two of the four new communes.

Dao Duc Minh, Vice Chairman of the district's Commission for Publicity, Education, and Mass Mobilization, mentioned ongoing challenges in securing working space for Phu Dong Commune.

He requested clear guidance on the distribution of duties among divisions and individual officers.

Nguyen Tuan Khanh, Head of the district Party Committee's Organization Committee, raised concerns about whether existing one-stop service desks should be retained.

He noted a lack of mechanisms for transferring documents from the district to the new commune administrations, despite the district receiving dozens of agriculture and environment-related applications daily.

Gia Lam District authorities reported that 1,580 projects will need to be handed over under the two-tier local government model. These include 48 projects assigned by the city, three funded by national target programs, and 19 supported by city-level funding.

Of all projects, 1,405 are funded entirely by the district, with 714 not yet included in the medium-term public investment plan. However, the city has not yet provided detailed guidance on how to transfer these projects to the new communes.

Representatives from Working Group No.5, including officials from the Hanoi departments of Home Affairs, Finance, Health, Construction, Agriculture and Environment, Education, and Justice, and the Hanoi Public Administration Service Center and the Office of the People's Committee, responded to the district's questions and provided guidance.

Deputy Chairwoman Vu Thu Ha urged Gia Lam District and the new commune governments to simultaneously run pilot operations and complete the necessary procedures.

She asked the district to review and make the best use of existing infrastructure and equipment from former commune offices to ensure a smooth transition by July 1.

Priority should be given to setting up administrative service desks and public reception areas, ensuring at least two staff members are assigned to handle requests from residents and businesses.

The district must also ensure adequate staffing during the pilot period, particularly in health and education services.

Ha stressed that the pre-overhaul commune governments must continue normal operations through June 30 and transfer responsibilities to the new units by the end of that day.

From July 1, the post-reorganization communes must be fully operational, with signage, websites, and other public-facing elements in place.

In preparation for the 2025-2026 school year, schools should begin student admissions on July 1, while also focusing on disease prevention, environmental hygiene, and food safety.

Ha affirmed that Working Group No.5 would continue visiting each commune to inspect progress, provide further guidance, and help resolve any emerging issues.