168 opinions voiced across five discussion groups at the 1st Dong Nai Provincial Party Congress, 2025–2030 term

On the afternoon of September 29, the Presidium of the 1st Dong Nai Provincial Party Congress, for the 2025–2030 term, chaired a meeting with the heads and deputy heads of the discussion groups at the preparatory session to consolidate, review, and consider the incorporation and explanation of the contributions made at the group discussions.

Those in attendance included Ton Ngoc Hanh, Alternate Member of the Party Central Committee, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairwoman of the Provincial People’s Council; Vo Tan Duc, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee; Huynh Thi Hang, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Dong Nai; and Thai Bao, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Head of the Provincial Party Committee’s Organization Commission.

Also in attendance were members of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, including Nguyen Minh Hoi, Head of the the Provincial Party Committee’s Internal Affairs Commission; Tran Trung Nhan, Chairman of the the Provincial Party Committee’s Inspection Commission; Le Truong Son, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee; and Ha Anh Dung, Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee. They were joined by Nguyen Duc Hai, Director of the Provincial Police; Vo Thanh Danh, Commander of the Provincial Military Command; as well as Duong Minh Dung, Party Secretary and People’s Council Chairman of Long Thanh Commune; Ho Van Nam, Party Secretary and People’s Council Chairman of Tran Bien Ward, Dang Minh Nguyet, Party Secretary and People’s Council Chairwoman of Long Khanh Ward, and Giang Thi Phuong Hanh, Party Secretary and People’s Council Chairwoman of Binh Phuoc Ward.

Overview of the meeting. Photo: Huy Anh

During the preparatory session of the 1st Dong Nai Provincial Party Congress, for the 2025–2030 term, delegates worked in five groups to discuss and provide input on the draft congress documents.

Delegates in five discussion groups raised 168 contributions, addressing a wide range of issues: strengthening the Party and political institutions; advancing economic growth, infrastructure, logistics, and green development; promoting culture, education, healthcare, environment, social welfare, and digital transformation; ensuring defense, security, and external relations; and enhancing civic engagement through the Fatherland Front and other socio-political organizations.

With a strong sense of responsibility, the delegates provided substantive feedback on the draft documents for both the 14th National Party Congress and the 1st Congress of the Dong Nai Provincial Party Committee for the 2025–2030 term.

Delegates put forward key proposals on Party building and socio-cultural development

The draft political report was widely praised as comprehensive and well-prepared, clearly reflecting the province’s development while outlining strategic priorities for the next term.

Ton Ngoc Hanh, Alternate Member of the Party Central Committee and Chairwoman of the Dong Nai People’s Council, delivers remarks at the meeting. Photo: Huy Anh

They called for concrete measures to advance the province’s breakthrough task on strengthening the cadre workforce, with particular focus on grassroots officials and enhancing digital transformation skills.

It is necessary to issue unified guidelines on the operational mechanisms of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and mass organizations within the political system; facilitate the formation of civic associations in accordance with regulations; and study and supplement policies to attract and retain skilled professionals for local development.

Vo Tan Duc, Deputy Secretary of the Dong Nai Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, addresses the meeting. Photo: Huy Anh.

Thai Bao, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Head of its Organization Commission, delivers remarks at the meeting. Photo: Huy Anh.

Tran Trung Nhan, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Dong Nai Party Committee’s Inspection Commission, speaks at the meeting. Photo: Huy Anh.

Participants urged stronger measures to bolster the Party’s effectiveness and the leadership role of its members. Proposals included enhancing political and ideological training, modernizing leadership practices, tightening oversight and accountability, and improving the quality of grassroots meetings. They also highlighted the need to link exemplary conduct with rewards and sanctions, while protecting and encouraging officials who show initiative and take responsibility.

Le Truong Son, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee and Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee delivers remarks at the meeting. Photo: Huy Anh.

Delegates urged tighter oversight in high-risk areas such as land, planning, and public investment, while strengthening the watchdog role of the Fatherland Front, civic groups, and the press. They also stressed the need to bolster the skills and capacity of local inspection and internal affairs officials.

Ha Anh Dung, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee and Standing Vice Chairman of the Dong Nai Fatherland Front Committee addresses the meeting. Photo: Huy Anh

Proposals for the 2025–2030 term included housing support for disadvantaged families, ambulances for every commune health center, and stronger health services under the national insurance scheme. The delegates also urged better benefits for grassroots officials, clear guidance on village mergers and administrative reform, and new benchmarks for developing modern rural communes.

Decisive measures should be developed to drive robust economic growth

Suggestions included removing the term “export processing zones” from environmental targets, upgrading Provincial Road 762, accelerating commune-level planning, and adjusting land-use plans.

Additional recommendations focused on revising bauxite mining for low-yield deposits to align with sustainability and security priorities, while also expanding access to clean water in remote and rural communities.

Major General Nguyen Duc Hai, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and Director of Dong Nai Provincial Police, addresses the meeting. Photo: Huy Anh.

Duong Minh Dung, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and, Party Secretary, and Chairman of the Long Thanh Commune People’s Council, delivers remarks at the session. Photo: Huy Anh.

Calls were made for faster integration of the national population database to better manage freelancers and seasonal workers, alongside timely updates of residency records. The discussions also highlighted the importance of leveraging digital tools in crime prevention and expanding investment in modern firefighting, rescue, and emergency response systems.

Proposals centered on bolstering national defense and security education for all citizens, integrating all-people’s national defense posture with people’s security posture. Delegates highlighted the need to upgrade local defense drills, strengthen commune-level military advisory capacity, and tie Party leaders’ accountability directly to defense responsibilities. Calls were also made for additional personnel and resources for commune-level military and police units, particularly in border regions.

Alongside these priorities, delegates underscored the need to safeguard worker security and strengthen oversight in border areas, ethnic minority communities, and religious localities.

They noted that commune-level police and self-defense militias remain understaffed and poorly equipped, with many facilities still makeshift. Recommendations included expanding personnel, upgrading equipment, and providing stronger support for training and drills.

Some delegates recommended standardizing terminology for clarity, suggesting consistency in references to “Long Thanh International Airport” versus “Long Thanh Airport,” and greater precision in phrases such as “drug-free communes and wards” or “communes and wards without drug-related problems.”

A proposal has been made to adopt special mechanisms to address security bottlenecks and unlock development resources.

The draft Political Report for the 2025–2030 term outlines eight key policy groups. Observers say the measures are comprehensive, aligned with the province’s development agenda and the central government’s strategic direction, while also reflecting the practical needs of the coming period.

However, some opinions emphasized that unlocking the potential of Dong Nai’s livestock sector requires clearer alignment between new-style rural development programs and farming activities (particularly regarding transport, environmental standards, and the planned use of agricultural land). The set of new-style rural development criteria for 2026–2030 period is expected to be about 50% more demanding than in the previous phase.

The province is suggested to roll out policies to develop e-commerce and logistics through 2030, including tailored incentives to attract major technology firms and the creation of one or two flagship e-commerce companies to lead small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

SMEs should be supported in building online storefronts and adopting digital management tools. The province also needs to establish industry clusters linking high-tech, e-commerce, and logistics to optimize value chains.

The delegates have proposed planning the connection of metro lines to the central axis road to ensure seamless and convenient access to various areas.

Plans also call for extending the Hoa Lu–Di An railway to Tran Bien Ward, enhancing north–south traffic flows within the province. In addition, a new bridge linking Tran Bien Ward with Tan Uyen Ward in Ho Chi Minh City should be put under consideration to ease regional transport links.

A rapid review and update of land-use plans has been proposed to lay the groundwork for new projects.

Suggestions also call for granting local governments greater flexibility to adjust zoning for social infrastructure such as schools and health clinics.

There’s a need to soon develop a centralized IT park and an innovation hub near Long Thanh Airport’s urban area.

Long Thanh is designated as the core urban hub for the airport, while surrounding communes are planned as satellite urban areas. Experts and planners stress that a unified and harmonized planning framework will be essential to ensure coherent development, avoid fragmented growth, and maximize the benefits of the airport-led urban expansion.

Urban planning is a task requiring special attention and should be included as a central mission of the congress and its action program, particularly for key areas such as Long Thanh, Tran Bien, Binh Phuoc, Phuoc Tan, Long Binh, Dong Xoai, and Chon Thanh.

In addition to the provincial master plan already approved, detailed zoning plans are expected to be completed on an accelerated timeline. Officials emphasize that these plans must be transparent, publicly available and clearly sequenced, creating a predictable framework for investors and mobilizing resources for sustainable growth.

For localities with large populations and strong growth potential, the number of sufficient staff positions must be ensured to to deliver public services effectively. Therefore, it is necessary to establish special mechanisms for such localities in terms of budget, staffing, and the contingent of officials and civil servants to ensure effective task implementation.

Demand for social housing in the province is projected at about 120,000 units. It is recommended to review the target of 65,000 units for the next term, arguing that affordable housing will be key to attracting and retaining industrial labor. The push comes as northern provinces and the Mekong Delta are also expanding their industrial bases, intensifying competition for workers.

Plans should be considered to repurpose semi-flooded zones of major hydropower reservoirs (Thac Mo, Can Don and Srok Phu Mieng) for solar energy projects or tourism, tapping into underused land for new growth drivers.

In parallel, detailed zoning plans should be prepared with 25% of priority communes and wards scheduled for completion in 2025, at the same time, funding should be allocated and plans developed in 2026 for the remaining 75% of communes and wards, thereby creating full conditions to attract investment and contribute to achieving the double-digit economic growth target .

Nguyen Thi Hong Trang, Member of the Dong Nai Party Committee and Deputy Head of the Provincial Party Committee’s Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission, delivers a report summarizing delegates’ feedback. Photo: Huy Anh

To meet its development goals, several opinions proposed that Dong Nai should request the Central Government to allow the province to retain a higher share of locally generated fiscal revenues in order to channel the funds into infrastructure investment and reduce reliance on central transfers. Regarding administrative procedures, it was suggested that the province be authorized to approve key projects and exercise stronger land management rights, such as approving and selecting investors for major projects in special cases, and promoting greater decentralization in land management, particularly for projects involving land use.

Delegates also asked for sweeping administrative reforms and broader decentralization. The proposals would give the province greater authority over investment approvals, project adjustments, environmental impact assessments, and decisions on converting the use of protected and upstream forests.

At the same time, the central government was proposed to consider introducing special mechanisms, including tax incentives for its planned free trade zone and green credit schemes for high-tech industrial parks within it.

The delegates called for greater devolution of powers, proposing that the central government delegate authority to manage, review and approve local projects. Officials argue that stronger local decision-making would accelerate implementation and provide more flexibility in driving development.

Regarding the draft action program to implement the Party Congress resolution, delegates showed broad consensus, endorsing a framework of 79 projects and initiatives aimed at turning the resolution into practice.

Proposals emphasized the need for concrete measures to strengthen inspections and oversight, improve the leadership capacity and resilience of grassroots Party organizations, and tighten the evaluation and screening of Party members. The recommendations also highlighted the importance of senior officials setting stronger examples, alongside enhanced transparency through media scrutiny, internal affairs monitoring, and broader oversight and feedback from the Fatherland Front and other mass organizations.

At the session, the presidium discussed and agreed to take into account all opinions contributed by delegates at the five discussion groups. Some recommendations will be incorporated into solutions and action programs to implement the congress resolution, while others will be acknowledged and clarified.

By Phuong Hang - Translated by Tam Binh, Thu Ha