The Ministry of Construction, which led the review, reported that a total of 594 legal documents were examined. As a result, 66 documents—including nine laws, 28 decrees, and 27 circulars—were proposed for adjustments to clarify, delegate, or decentralize administrative authority.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha chairs a meeting on decentralizing administrative tasks in construction and transport. Photo: VGP

Minister of Construction Tran Hong Minh noted that the draft decree proposes transferring 90 administrative tasks from district-level governments to communes, one task to the provincial level, and another from provincial People’s Committees to the Department of Construction.

In the area of urban and rural planning, the Ministry recommended:

- Transferring four tasks from the Prime Minister to local governments;

- One task each to the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security;

- Five tasks from the Minister of Construction to local authorities;

- 14 tasks from district to commune levels;

- One task each to provincial People’s Committees and Departments of Construction.

Under the new structure, the Ministry of Construction would shift its focus toward strategic state management functions—such as developing legal frameworks, setting technical standards, drafting policies, and conducting inspection and oversight. Local governments would gain autonomy in handling delegated responsibilities without seeking approval from central ministries or the Prime Minister.

Minister Minh emphasized that decentralization must go hand-in-hand with clear delineation of responsibilities to avoid overlaps and regulatory gaps. “Our goal is to reduce administrative burden, increase efficiency, and ensure that local governments are empowered to deliver faster and better public services”, he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha directed the Ministry of Construction to continue refining the draft decree. He stressed the importance of clearly defining which authorities will be delegated from the Government, the Prime Minister, and Ministers to local entities, and ensuring legal consistency across the board.

The proposed decentralization is expected to streamline governance in the construction and transport sectors, enabling more responsive, localized decision-making and contributing to Vietnam’s broader administrative reform agenda.