EXPLANATORY REPORT

ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE EXPANSION OF HÀ NỘI CAPITAL

(presented by PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng at

The 3rd session of the 12th National Assembly)

________

At the May 13, 2008 sitting of the 12th National Assembly, the Government submitted to the NA a statement on the expansion of Hà Nội City’s administrative boundaries and a report on the research for the expansion. On May 14, NA deputies had discussions in groups and during its May 19 plenary meeting, the NA thoroughly discussed the Government’s statement and report.

Through in-group discussions and the plenary meeting, the majority of the NA deputies gave their approval to the intention to expand Hà Nội and all confirmed that it is a great sound historical intention to build up an advanced and civilized capital in the period of modernization, industrialization and international economic integration , with the visions to 2030-2050 and farther. Most of the deputies advocated the plan submitted by the Government. However, there are many deputies who are concerned about the measures, scale, scope and roadmap to put the plan into reality.

The Government would like to receive sound and responsible comments from the NA deputies. Acting on behalf of the Government, I would like to present an additional explanatory report on issues questioned by some deputies.

1. The preparation for the plan to expand Hà Nội

The construction and development of Hà Nội Capital are always a top concern of our Party, State and people. Upon his return to the capital after the successful anti-French resistance war, President Hồ Chí Minh spent a lot of time to direct the planning and construction of the capital. Many generations of leaders of the Party and State have also devoted their special attention and great efforts to this work. In directing the construction of the capital, with a far-sighted strategic view of the development of Hà Nội, the Party Politburo (Tenure 8), in its Resolution 15-NQ/TW dated on December 15, 2000, confirmed the capital’s role and position as "the heart of the whole country, a national political and administrative nerve center, and a big hub of cultural, scientific, educational, economic activities and international exchanges. That is the great honor and also heavy responsibility of Hà Nội Capital". The Resolution reads: "In the next ten years, to prepare its 1000th anniversary, the City should promote its comprehensive and sustainable development in terms of economy, science, culture and society; basically build up social and technical foundations of a beautiful, wealthy, civilized, elegant and modern socialist capital, imbued with thousand-year cultural identities; improve the people’s material and spiritual life; strive to become a center with higher prestige in the region, deserving to be the Heroic Capital".

In its Ordinance on the Capital 29/2000/PL-UBTVQH10 issued on December 28, 2000, the NA’s Standing Committee set the target to "build and develop Hà Nội – the Capital of the Socialist Republic of Việt Nam, the heart of the whole country – increasingly beautiful, wealthy, civilized and modern; inherit and uphold traditions of the thousand-year-old Thăng Long-Hà Nội, contributing to build the country more prosperous and powerful", at the same time reconfirmed that "Hà Nội Capital is the national-level political and administrative center and a big hub of cultural, scientific, educational, economic activities and international transactions".

So, it is possible to say that both the Politburo’s Resolution 15 and the NA Standing Committee’s Ordinance on the Capital consider Hà Nội as a multi-functional capital and a continuation model of the formation and development process of Thăng Long-Hà Nội. This requires Hà Nội to be built and developed comprehensively to become the capital of the country in the period of industrialization and modernization as well as to become a future municipality of a country with the population of 120 million; in conformity with the Party and State’s guideline and people’s aspiration, and also commensurate to many capital models in the world.

On the basis of Resolution 15 and the Capital Ordinance, the Government directed ministries, sectors and the Hà Nội People’s Committee to adjust and supplement the overall planning scheme of the capital in order to fulfill the targets fixed in these two documents.

For years of realizing the overall planning scheme for Hà Nội Capital, which was approved by the Prime Minister in 1998, Hà Nội has many times proposed the readjustments of its functional quarters. This illustrates that the capital has been dealing with a number of burning issues and that it is becoming increasingly overloaded and unproportional. In planning the capital, it is possible to easily recognize the pervasive influence of Hà Nội as a big city on the surrounding localities as well as their socio-economic interrelations. Thus, it is impossible to develop the capital within its planning boundaries. Instead, we need to draft the planning scheme for a larger capital region in order to meet, basically and comprehensively, requirements of the development of Hà Nội and its neighbors. The Government assigned its advisory agencies to work on the construction plan for Hà Nội capital region, at the same time founded a steering committee for planning and investing the construction of Hà Nội capital region.

For nearly six years of researching the construction plan for the capital region in which Hà Nội is the core city linked to local cities within the region, both domestic and foreign planners have conducted thorough research and discussions through more than 20 seminars at home and abroad, with the participation of many ministries, sectors, localities, scientists, representatives from relevant professional associations, international organizations like WB, JICA, KOIKA, ADB and others. Studies on planning Hà Nội and the capital region show that, the city’s existing space and socio-technical infrastructure are unable to meet the speed of urbanization, investment attraction, and increasing population of both residents and non-residents (the current density is 5,000 people/km 2 and even 1 1,600 people/km 2 in the inner city). [1]

Obviously, the administrative expansion will pay the way for Hà Nội’s sustainable comprehensive development in the intermediate and long future, to become a national-level political and administrative center and a hub of cultural, scientific, education, economic activities and international transactions in the process of industrialization, modernization and international economic integration. This is an urgent necessity now. The State-level scientific research (code KX09) titled “The urbanization of Thăng Long-Hà Nội: Historical experience and orientations for the urban development planning work in the period of national industrialization and modernization" conducted by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Hà Nội People’s Committee also asserts that the expansion of Hà Nội is inevitable in the urbanization process.

After hearing the reports made by the Hà Nội Party Committee and the Government to review five years implementing Resolution 15, the Politburo (Tenure 10) drew the following conclusion on November 02, 2005: "To entrust the Government’s Party civil affairs committee to direct within 2006, together with the drafting and approval of the planning scheme for the capital region, the designing of a plan on the administrative expansion of Hà Nội... to be submitted to the Politburo for comments before the submission to the State agencies for decision". The Government has seriously realized this conclusion by assigning its advisory bodies to research the expansion of Hà Nội.

The research on the capital’s administrative expansion has been carried out through systematically identifying requirements and criteria to put forth different scenarios of expansion; then analyzing, comparing, assessing and marking them to select the optimal option. Five scenarios were surveyed and proposed, covering all possibilities for the expansion. The Government’s Party civil affairs committee carefully considered to adopt three top scenarios and submit them to the Politburo before the submission to the Party Central Committee. At the 6th session of the 10th Party Central Committee in January 2008, after hearing the Politburo’s report on the Statement on the plan of the administrative expansion of Hà Nội, the Party Central Committee discussed and issued a Resolution, "Agreeing with the intension to expand Hà Nội Capital’s administrative boundaries through merging the entire natural area and population of Hà Tây Province; of Mê Linh District (Vĩnh Phúc Provinec); and of four communes - Đông Xuân, Tiến Xuân, Yên Bình, and Yên Trung – of Lương Sơn District (Hòa Bình Province) into Hà Nội. To entrust the National Assembly’s Party Committee, Government’s Party civil affairs committee, and the Party committees of Hà Nội, Hà Tây, Vĩnh Phúc, and Hòa Bình to direct and organize the implementation in line with the order and regulations set by the Party as well as laws".

Under current laws, the adjustments of boundaries of administrative units to expand Hà Nội as mentioned in the proposed option must be submitted to the People’s Councils at the relevant echelons only. Moreover, this work is related to so many sensitive fields that it is impossibly publicized broadly without the decisions of the competent agencies. Observing the laws and the conclusion of the Party Central Committee, the Government collected opinions from the People’s Councils concerning the expansion as reported to the National Assembly. To supplement and further clarify the Statement , the Government sent all NA deputies the Plan for orientations of the planning of the expanded Hà Nội to 2030, with visions to 2050. The Government also made a report on the research for the expansion of Hà Nội to the NA in order to provide all deputies with more information.

Since 1961, Hà Nội Capital has experienced three administrative adjustments in 1961 and 1978 (expansion), and in 1991 (contraction). And this is the first time when the expansion of Hà Nội was surveyed on the basis of the overall planning scheme for Hà Nội Capital and the construction planning scheme for the regional capital. During this process, strong points and weaknesses of the previous adjustments (expansion or contraction) were reviewed, analyzed and assessed, so as to draw necessary experience and proposals for designing the scenario of Hà Nội’s expansion this time.

Evidently, the preparatory research for the expansion of Hà Nội was conducted carefully and seriously in line with the Party’s regulations and the State’s laws.

However, the Government realized that, in its Statement submitted to the NA, the above-mentioned preparation was not fully presented and the necessity and scope of the expansion was not thoroughly analyzed. These mistakes have been pointed out by many NA deputies. On the behalf of the Government, the Minister of Home Affairs acknowledged these mistakes. Then the Government has seriously received all comments and made this additional report on the research work in order provide more thorough analysis of the necessity and the selected scenario for the capital’s expansion.

2. Reasons to adopt Scenario 1 for the expansion

Scenario 1 is the option proposed for the expansion. Accordingly, the expanded Hà Nội will cover Hà Nội City, Hà Tây Province, Mê Linh District of Vĩnh Phúc Province, and four communes (Đông Xuân, Tiến Xuân, Yên Bình, and Yên Trung) of Lương Sơn District of Hòa Bình Province. Then, it will have a natural land area of 3,344.47 km 2 , a population of 6,232,940 people, and 29 district-level administrative units.

Through group discussions, plenary meeting and giving their opinions, the majority of NA deputies agreed with Scenario 1. However, many deputies showed their concerns that this scenario is too large in terms of area and population. Some advocated Scenario 2, others supported Scenario 4. Given to the foundations to select Scenario 1, the Government would like to give more explanations as follows:

The Politburo’s Resolution 15 and Article 3 of the Capital Ordinance clearly point out six targets of the development of the capital: "1) To build and develop a beautiful, wealthy, civilized, elegant and modern socialist capital as the symbol of the whole country; 2) To have a modern and synchronized infrastructure and a sustainable environment; 3) To stabilize national defense, political security, and social safety; protect people and ensure the absolute safety for the performance of all agencies of the Party and State, socio-political organizations, diplomatic representative offices, and international organizations; 4) To preserve and bring into play the thousand-year-old capital’s long-lasting cultural traditions, contributing to the construction and development of a progressive Vietnamese culture imbued with national identities; to help form elegant and civilized Hanoians who are typical for the nation’s intelligence and good virtues; to found the country’s leading research and development facilities of technology, culture, education, health, and sports; 5) To ensure the capital’s high, sustainable and well-proportioned economic growth, meeting the requirements of the country’s economic development and international integration; 6) To concentrate on making the socio-cultural environment healthy and clean, prevent and eradicate social evils.

On the basis of the above-mentioned targets, the Government’s competent bodies put forth six requirements and nine criteria as the foundation for designing and selecting the scenario for Hà Nội’s administrative expansion. Five scenarios were raised to expand Hà Nội in different directions. Relying on the mentioned requirements and criteria, Scenario 1 was selected thanks to its highest mark and strong points:

Under Scenario 1, the expanded Hà Nội will be large enough for the construction of a modern capital with ancient historical features, clean environment and picturesque landscape, not only in 20-30 years but also for the far future. The land fund, mainly consisting of hills, with not so many buildings, has geological convenience for the construction of big-sized works, making no great impact on agricultural land. This scenario is also militarily convenient to ensure security and defense for the capital. It also has many advantages to not disorder the surrounding provinces’ administrative boundaries. Moreover, Hà Tây Province and Mê Linh District have maintained close relations with Hà Nội for a long time. Once in the past, Mê Linh and a large part of Hà Tây belonged to Hà Nội.

With this scenario, when the national population reaches 120 million, the capital’s population will account for 10% with the density of 3,500 to 4,000 people per km 2 , equivalent to that of some developed capitals like Paris (France) 3,500, London (UK) 5,100, Berlin (Germany) 3,740, Moscow (Russia) 3,629, Tokyo (Japan) 4,400, Beijing (China) 4,000, and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) 3,120. At present, 17 cities and capitals all over the world have the area of 3,000 km 2 each. So, Hà Nội, once expanded, is not a too large city in fact.

Under Scenario 1, Hà Nội will lean its back against the Ba Vì Range and look to the Red River. Thus, Hà Nội will retain its fengshui advantages as well as scientific and artful values drawn in the formation and development of Việt Nam’s urban cities, according to which man’s habitat is always closely attached to nature. This is also the most sustainable development trend that Việt Nam and many other countries are heading to.

If Scenario 2 is adopted, Hà Nội will be also expanded westwards. However, the expansion space will not meet fully all targets, requirements and criteria for the capital’s development as mentioned above. On the other hand, the rest six agricultural districts of Hà Tây, with poor infrastructure, will meet huge difficulties in the development process.

Scenarios 3, 4, 5 suggest the expansion of Hà Nội to the surrounding provinces (all documents of these scenarios were sent to the NA delegations for reference). Under these scenarios, the expansion space of Hà Nội is much smaller, not enough to meet targets, requirements and criteria of development. Moreover, most of the proposed expansion area is the concentration of many works or projects, or the fields of high-yield rice. On the other hand, in case one of these scenarios is adopted, administrative boundaries of almost all the surrounding provinces of Hà Nội will be changed, leading to unfavorable impacts on livelihood and economy.

Through analysis and comparison, Scenario 1 was given with top score thanks to its strong points. However, it also shows some shortcomings as pointed out by the Government in the report submitted to the NA as well as questioned by many NA deputies. The Government commits to drastically deal with difficulties and shortcomings, so as to fruitfully implement the NA’s Resolution on the expansion of Hà Nội’s administrative boundaries.

3. Roadmap and conditions to expand Hà Nội

Through group discussions and plenary meeting, many NA deputies showed their concerns about the time of coming into effect of the NA’s Resolution on Hà Nội’s expansion .

Absorbing those comments, the Government asks the NA for the permission to enforce the Resolution on August 1, 2008. After the issuance of the Resolution, the Government will closely cooperate with the Party and State’s competent bodies to resolutely guide ministries, agencies and the related provincial and municipal authorities to prepare the mergence and formation of the new government of Hà Nội; at the same time, outline the city’s socio-economic development and budget plans 2009 which will be submitted to the NA at the end of 2008.

At present, within the expected areas for Hà Nội’s expansion, over 300 planning schemes and projects for urban areas, tourist zones and industrial parks are waiting for approval. If the expansion is delayed, these projects will continue lying in wait, or in case of those under implementation, may become incommensurate to the overall planning scheme for the expanded capital’s future development. Then they will be readjusted, causing great wastes.

- Outlining the overall planning scheme for the construction of expanded Hà Nội

Some NA deputies stated that the Government’s proposal of the capital’s expansion, when having no overall planning scheme for the capital’s construction, was raised with a lack of good foundation and information. For this issue, the Government would like to give more details as follows:

According to the Law on Construction, the overall planning scheme for the construction of each locality must be designed by the local authority relying on the well-identified administrative boundaries. In fact, without administrative boundaries, it is impossible to set up construction planning schemes.

To supply information for considering the expansion of Hà Nội, the Government had already sent to the NA deputies the Project on the orientations to plan the expanded Hà Nội. After the NA issues its Resolution, the Government will direct the designing of the overall planning scheme for the construction of the expanded Hà Nội in compliance with legal procedures and stipulations.

- Collecting people’s opnions

In discussions, some NA deputies stressed that the expansion of Hà Nội is an issue of great importance and that the Government should ask for people’s opinions. Some others said that the collection of comments from the People’s Councils at the relevant echelons is enough.

Based on current legal regulations and the conclusion of the 6 th session of the 10th Party Central Committee, as reported to the NA, the Government collected ideas on the expansion of Hà Nội from the relevant People’s Councils. After the NA ratifies the Resolution on Hà Nội’s expansion, the Government will order the competent bodies and invite international consultants and local experts to outline the overall construction planning scheme for Hà Nội. The planning scheme will be publicized for comments from people, scientists and NA deputies to ensure its high quality.

- Fund for Hà Nội’s expansion

Some NA deputies proposed the Government to present a report on funds and capital for the expansion of Hà Nội. The Government would like to reveal as follows:

The mergence of bodies of Hà Tây and Hà Nội will not cost too much because it does not require new offices, new vehicles, and new facilities. And the entire system of district- and communal-level agencies will be kept unchanged.

There requires no addition for the regular spending which was already allocated in local budget plans 2008. The expanded Hà Nội’s budget plan 2009 will be set up by the Government in line with the Law on Budget before submitting to the NA late this year.

For the investment capital to develop socio-economic infrastructure: this large source of capital will be mobilized from the State budget and other sources through mechanisms and policies stipulated by laws. On the basis of the approved planning schemes and investment projects, the specific capital amount in a certain period of time for each project will be clearly calculated. The Government will undertake this time-consuming work and will submit proposals to the NA for consideration through annual and five-year plans.

- Organization of administrative units of the new Hà Nội City

Some deputies said that, after the expansion of Hà Nội, Hà Đông and Sơn Tây Cities will be governed by Hà Nội and this is not in line with laws. The Minister of Justice had already offered explanations to the NA for this issue.

The Government would like to add more explanations: According to Article 118 of the Constitution 1992, a province consists of districts, provincial-level cities and towns; a centrally-administered city will be divided into districts and towns; a district into communes and townships; a provincial-level city or town into communes and wards; and a district into wards. In principle, a province or centrally-administered city has three levels of authority, namely province, district and commune. Calling a city or a town depends on the level of urbanization, not on grounds to divide administrative units. After the expansion, the existence of Hà Đông and Sơn Tây as provincial-level cities is not contrary to the Constitution. If necessary, the Government will reorganize the two cities into suitable administrative units.

The four communes of Đông Xuân, Tiến Xuân, Yên Bình, and Yên Trung of Lương Sơn District will be early merged into the adjoining districts properly after the issuance of the NA’s Resolution.

- Organizational and personnel work

Through discussions, some NA deputies proposed the Government to pay special attention to Hà Nội’s organizational and personnel work. As soon as the NA approves the Resolution, the Government will work with the Party and State’s competent bodies to reorganize Hà Nội’s apparatus and staff.

- Preserving cultural identities and historical sites of the relevant localities

Some deputies asked the Government to ensure the preservation of cultural distinctions and historical sites of the localities. The Government pledges to direct its competent bodies and those of Hà Nội to preserve all historical sites and cultural identities, building Hà Nội the Capital of thousand-year civilization, contributing to the construction and development of Việt Nam’s advanced culture imbued with national cultural identities; helping create the Capital’s residents of elegance, intelligence and good virtues.

- Some NA deputies requested the Government to report on the land use plan before considering the expansion of Hà Nội’s administrative boundaries. The Government states that: According to the legal regulations, after the NA approves the expansion, the Government will direct its competent bodies to realize this work and will ask the NA to readjust the 5-year land use plan (2006-2010) attached to the NA’s Resolution 57/2006/QH 11, in accordance with the Law on Land.

- Concerning the proposals of Hòa Bình Province on the readjustment of the administrative boundaries of some communes, the Government will promptly direct the reasonable settlement in line with the laws.

- Many NA deputies asked the Government to pay greater attention to the livelihood of peasants, ethnic minorities and the habitants in disadvantaged areas after Hà Nội is expanded. The Government would like to admit this accurate suggestion and will instruct Hà Nội to develop rapidly, comprehensively, and sustainably, gradually improving people’s material and spiritual life, particularly those in disadvantaged areas.

NA deputies,

The administrative expansion of Hà Nội is a significant issue. The Politburo and the Government’s party civil affairs committee directed the serious preparation with a high sense of responsibility and in accordance with the Party’s regulations and the State’s laws. The expansion scenario have been thoroughly discussed by the Politburo, Party Central Committee, NA Standing Committee, People’s Councils, People’s Committees and Party committees of the relevant localities before reaching a high consensus that the Government will submit it to the NA for consideration and decision.

Through group discussions, plenary meeting and giving opinions in writing, the majority of NA deputies approved the scenario proposed by the Government. The Government takes into serious consideration all concerns and proposals from the NA deputies and presents an explanatory report.

NA deputies,

So far, there remain only 864 days when the entire people, together with Hanoians, will celebrate solemnly the 1000 th anniversary of Thăng Long–Hà Nội. The NA’s approval of the Resolution on Hà Nội’s administrative expansion is of historical significance, creating decisive preconditions for the designing and ratification of the planning scheme for Hà Nội Capital in order to meet new requirements of the process of industrialization and modernization, as well as to welcome the 1000 th anniversary of the capital, making significant contribution to the cause of national building in line with the aspiration of President Hồ Chí Minh, the whole Party, people and army.

In that spirit, on behalf of the Government, I strongly and respectively call upon all NA deputies to consider and decide the administrative expansion of Hà Nội right in this sitting session.

Right after the NA issues the Resolution, under the leadership of the Politburo and the Party Central Committee, the Government will promptly design program, direct the effective implementation of the Resolution, and make yearly report to the NA.

Thank you for listening