Hanoi (VNA) – A national conference of all-level People’s Councils wrapped up in Hanoi on May 28 after a productive sitting to map out tasks for the 2026–2031 term.
Operational shake-up
Delegates reviewed a report on the performance of all-level People’s Councils during the 2021–2026 term and early months of the new tenure. They listened to detailed remarks from Permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Tran Cam Tu, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra, and four standing members of the municipal and provincial People’s Councils.
Over the past term, all-level councils delivered deeper, more substantive and effective reforms, stayed closer to on-the-ground realities and voters, and effectively fulfilled their role in making decisions on important local issues, helping drive socio-economic gains, national defence – security, and living standards.
Local councils proactively and responsibly shifted to a two-tier local administration model, streamlined structures, overhauled operational mechanisms and issued numerous resolutions to keep administrations running without disruption. Early results indicate the revamp is fit for purpose and in step with development trends.
Beyond structural changes, they ramped up public outreach and deployed IT and digital tools, boosting operational efficiency, transparency and accountability. Coordination between the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee and provincial-level councils grew more substantive.
More drastic action
In his closing remarks, NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man praised the councils for their achievements during the 2021–2026 term and the initial months of the 2026–2031 term.
As the new context presents both opportunities and challenges, Chairman Man urged them to continue making greater efforts, assume greater responsibilities, act more strongly, and innovate to meet the country’s new development requirements.
Outlining key tasks for the coming time, he called stronger Party leadership the decisive factor, saying that People’s Councils can only be truly effective if they closely follow the Party guidelines and resolutions, and turn political will into concrete local mechanisms and policies.
He also demanded the effective enforcement of Party guidelines on the building of a socialist rule-of-law state, local administration reform, socialist democracy and the fight against corruption, wastefulness and negative practices.
Public satisfaction, he stressed, must be the yardstick for council performance, with citizens and enterprises at the core.
The legislator requested better-quality decision-making on key local matters. Every policy, he said, must be grounded in reality, accurate, timely, highly feasible, forward-looking and designed to unlock resources and fuel new growth engines to secure double-digit growth.
To such end, emphasis should be placed on key sectors and strategic infrastructure such as science – technology, innovation, digital transformation, green transition, the circular economy, skilled workforce training, administrative reform, private sector development, culture, and social welfare. They must also proactively propose solutions to regulatory and policy bottlenecks to spur investment, production and trade, propel growth and boost regional connectivity.
Supervision, he said, should be substantive, effective and centred on issues of voter concern such as land management, environmental protection, administrative reform and public investment.
He called for accelerating digital transformation and AI adoption, creating a linked data system between the NA and all-level People's Councils, and strengthening digital interaction between deputies and the public to build a modern, citizen- and business-friendly local governance apparatus.
Singling out the Hanoi People’s Council as one of the best digital and AI performers, he instructed the NA Committee for Deputy Affairs to team up with the Hanoi People’s Council to replicate its model in other localities. The NA Committee on Science, Technology and Environment was assigned to work with the NA Committee for Deputy Affairs to transfer 27 topics from the “Digital Literacy for All – Digital NA” initiative to local councils for study.
Regarding continued apparatus restructuring and improving the quality of People’s Council deputies, he called it the crucial factor.
Reiterating Party General Secretary and State President To Lam’s demand for local administrations that are close to the people, leaner but sharper, and decentralised with tight accountability, he expected that such spirit will continue to shape councils’ work in the new term.
The NA Standing Committee will keep supporting localities with guidance, training, capacity building, and a stronger legal framework governing local administration and council operations, he said./.
