The recent directive from the Ministry of Home Affairs outlines strict controls regarding the destruction of documents during the reorganization of local administrative units within Vietnam. Announced on March 22, 2025, the directive emphasizes that local authorities must adhere to legal regulations concerning record-keeping and archiving, ensuring that all relevant documents remain safe, centralized, and systematically managed.
Chairpersons of Provincial and City People's Committees are tasked with ensuring compliance within their respective administrative units. The Ministry has explicitly stated that administrative documents cannot be issued following the approval of the competent authority regarding mergers or the cessation of any operations. In the critical phases leading up to and during the restructuring process, records must be kept secure within the respective provincial historical archives and agency archives, safeguarding against any unauthorized appropriations or destruction of essential documents.
A significant aspect of this directive is the responsibility placed upon the provincial historical archives to collaborate with local authorities, ensuring that all relevant data is properly preserved and managed throughout the restructuring process. According to the directive, the Provincial People's Committee holds ultimate accountability for conducting state management concerning archival materials.
In addition to this, the directive highlights specific responsibilities for the Chairpersons at the district and commune levels regarding inventory and packaging of records related to unfinished tasks. They are to create a detailed listing of all pending work while organizing these records for transfer to the Agency Archives, thereby ensuring that even incomplete tasks are diligently documented and preserved.
Moreover, the Ministry insists on the incorporation of modern technologies to enhance archival management processes, reflecting a broader strategic aim of streamlining the government apparatus towards greater efficiency, modernity, and sustainability. The current approach is notably different from past administrative restructures, where changes were often administratively motivated, aimed primarily at achieving political stability and effective governance during specific historical contexts.
Reflecting on historical administrative reforms, PGS.TS Bùi Hoài Sơn recently discussed the differences between contemporary reorganizations and those carried out nearly 200 years ago under King Minh Mệnh, highlighting how past mergers primarily focused on downsizing. He indicated that the modern approach aims for a holistic restructuring that enhances governance effectiveness and local competitiveness under the pressures of globalization.
According to Sơn, the pivotal shift lies in recognizing the importance of administrative reform as fundamentally a step towards a restructuring strategy that focuses not just on organizational reduction but on creating a more integrated, efficient, and responsive governmental structure.
In this context, experts underline the necessity of adopting democratic processes in organizational planning, prioritizing local engagement during restructuring discussions, and giving careful consideration to citizen input regarding the new administrative name and center. These aspects aim to ensure community sentiment is respected and that the reformed administration can operate more effectively post-merger.
The commitment to modernization using digital platforms, along with a focus on local cultural identity in naming new administrative units, is evident in recent discussions. Sơn emphasized that community values should be central to the process, enabling increased public trust and participation in governance, which is particularly vital when transitioning to streamlined administrative operations.
Through systematic preservation of documents and careful organization of files during this transitional period, Vietnam aims to cultivate a more robust, citizen-centered governance model capable of adapting to contemporary challenges effectively while respecting the country's rich historical and cultural fabric.
