Phong said the National Assembly’s Resolution on the establishment of Thu Duc City in January will create a strong kickoff.

 

 

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HCM City Mayor Nguyen Thanh Phong

 

 

The first thing to be done is to arrange the personnel of Thu Duc City to be sure that the lives and work of people, civil servants and businesses will not be disrupted by the city's establishment.

In the long term, a new development period will occur with Thu Duc City as a ‘nucleus’ that promotes and leads HCM City’s economy and the southern key economic zone.

Regarding the roadmap for personnel arrangement, Phong said this would be implemented in three stages.

From January 1 to February 7, 2021 the personnel apparatus will be put into operation. Boards and teams in Thu Duc City will be ready for national election day.

From February 7 to May 23, 2021, the apparatus will continue to be strengthened to serve the election of the National Assembly and people’s councils at different levels.

From May 23, appropriate agencies of HCM City and Thu Duc City will continue to work to complete policies and the apparatus to ensure the smooth operation of Thu Duc City.

Special mechanism for Thu Duc City

At a consultation organized by the Vietnam Fatherland Front in HCM City in December 2020, Major General Phan Anh Minh, former Deputy Director of the HCM City Police, commented that if Thu Duc City is equal to a district level, it will have its wings clipped and have to ask for permission from authorities at higher levels.

This would be just like ‘old wine put in new tank’, i.e. the name of Thu Duc City will be new, but it would still be seen as a district as in the past.

Minh said there should be a specific mechanism for Thu Duc City set by a National Assembly resolution, which would give more power to the city.

Phong told VietNamNet that HCM City is compiling specific mechanisms and policies for Thu Duc City development, which would be submitted to the central government for consideration.

“This needs to be done immediately so as to strengthen the resources for Thu Duc City to develop beyond the frame of a district-level administration unit,” Phong said.

 

Several things need to be done initially under the ‘working while running’ principle for Thu Duc City, and the most important is a special mechanism that will enable the city to "take off".

 

He declined to give details about ‘specific policies’, but said there will be stronger decentralization and authorization for Thu Duc City. This will allow Thu Duc City’s leaders to make decisions in certain fields without having to ask for permission from HCM City leaders.

Phong went on to say that a specific mechanism for Thu Duc is expected to get approval in Q1 2021.

Earlier, at a working session with the Ministry of Home Affairs, HCM City proposed setting up a science and technology division in Thu Duc City (other districts in HCM City don’t have such a division).

According to Phong, Thu Duc City will be developed as a highly interactive creative space, and that science and technology will play a very important role in the development of the city.

“The National Assembly Resolution assigns the government to consider a specific mechanism for Thu Duc City. HCM City hopes that the central government will soon promulgate a decree on the issue to help Thu Duc City develop, commensurate with its great potential,” Phong said.

Items that need immediate investment

According to Phong, urban infrastructure will be the focus of the master planning of Thu Duc City.

The planning will promote the role of Thu Duc’s critical growth poles. The local authorities will draw up zoning plans, and adjust the 1/200 zoning plan and 1/500 detailed plans of innovative centers and key development areas.

Investment will be called for eight functional centers that will quickly change the face of Thu Duc City, including Thu Thiem financial center and new urban area, a hi-tech manufacturing and application center, the country’s largest creative startup center, and the Truong Tho port urban area.

Regarding transport infrastructure, it is necessary to work on solutions to increase public transport to satisfy travel demand by 2040, and expand the transport network of urban railway No 1 connecting southeastern provinces.

The major work on the existing infrastructure system of Thu Duc City for the 2021-2025 period will continue, including the water drainage system on Vo Van Ngan Street along the railway in Linh Dong Ward; improvement of Binh Thai Canal in Truong Tho Ward; the Sai Gon River anti-landslide work in Binh Loi Bridge area; and the opening of three sluice gates and pumping stations.

A number of roads will be expanded and upgraded, including the Ba Ca Road and Bridge and other bridges; and Highway No 13 and Belt Road No 2 (from Pham Van Dong Road to Go Duc Intersection).

About 1 million trees in Thu Duc City will be planted in parks and along roads, which will turn Thu Duc into a example of greenery development. 

Ho Van - Bao Anh

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