Focus on livelihood improvements in 10 new wards

On April 30, in conjunction with Dong Nai’s official transition to city status, 10 of its communes were upgraded to wards.

The development of these new wards is expected to improve people’s lives directly. In the photo: Residents in Dong Phu ward receive health check-ups.

This occasion marks an important milestone in the urbanization process, aimed at enhancing residents’ quality of life through infrastructure development, expanded urban services, and improved grassroots governance.

Accelerating robust urbanization

According to Resolution No. 237/NQ-UBTVQH16 of the National Assembly Standing Committee, effective on April 30, 2026, Dong Nai officially established 10 new wards by converting the existing administrative status of 10 communes, namely: Trang Bom, Long Thanh, Tri An, Nhon Trach, Tan Khai, Xuan Loc, Tan Phu, Loc Ninh, Dau Giay, and Dong Phu. As a result, Dong Nai now has 95 commune-level administrative units, including 33 wards and 62 communes.

Dong Nai holds a strategic role as a central hub for industry and logistics, while also serving as a key gateway connecting Ho Chi Minh City with the Southern provinces and the Central Highlands. The strong expansion of industrial parks, together with the spillover effects of major infrastructure projects such as Long Thanh International Airport, the Bien Hoa – Vung Tau Expressway, and Ring Roads 3 and 4 of Ho Chi Minh City, is generating increasingly powerful momentum for rapid urbanization across the city.

This process, however, also creates mounting pressure from rapid population influx and surging demand for housing, transportation, schools, healthcare, and urban public services. Many formerly rural areas have experienced strong growth in commerce and services, with dense population concentrations. Yet, the commune-level administrative model has gradually become unsuitable, leading to limitations in planning, investment, and urban governance.

According to Nguyen Van Ut, Deputy Secretary of the Dong Nai City Party Committee and Chairman of the City People’s Committee, the establishment of these 10 wards stems directly from the practical development needs of each locality. These areas were previously townships that already clearly exhibited urban characteristics and functions. Even after earlier administrative restructuring into commune status, urbanization continued to progress strongly and increasingly clearly.

Following the review, all of these areas were found to have large populations, fairly developed commerce, services, and non-agricultural production, with technical and social infrastructure developed in relative synchrony and an increasingly complete urban landscape. Therefore, upgrading them is necessary to reorganize the administrative apparatus and management methods in a way that better suits practical conditions, creating conditions for more systematic, effective, and sustainable development in the coming period.

This policy received strong consensus and support from central authorities from the appraisal and review stage, and was also approved by many National Assembly deputies at the first session of the 16th National Assembly. Opinions held that upgrading the 10 communes to wards is in line with the pace of urbanization, helping create new momentum for local socio-economic development while improving the efficiency of public service delivery.

Placing residents at the center

Trang Bom, formed through the administrative consolidation of Trang Bom town and the communes of Giang Dien, Quang Tien, and Song Trau, with a population of more than 95,500, has strategic advantages in location, transportation, and industrial development, providing a clear development foundation. Le Ngoc Tien, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the Trang Bom ward People’s Committee, stated that during the 2026–2030 period, Trang Bom will pursue development under a green, smart, and modern urban model, with residents as the primary beneficiaries. The locality will prioritize infrastructure investment, digital transformation, improved public services, expanded employment opportunities, and higher-quality education, healthcare, and cultural life.

Similarly, the former Tri An commune, now Tri An ward, was formed from Vinh An town and the communes of Ma Da and Tri An, possessing major advantages in forest resources, the vast surface area of Tri An Lake, and strong potential for eco-tourism and clean energy. As infrastructure continues to improve and transport connectivity expands, the locality is orienting itself toward a green, sustainable urban model centered on improving residents’ quality of life.

Cao Thi Thanh, a resident of Tri An ward, said, “People hope for more supportive policies for economic development, especially eco-tourism. At the same time, administrative procedures should become simpler, while transportation, electricity, and water systems need more synchronized investment so that daily life can become more stable and convenient.”

In Dong Phu, formed from Tan Phu town and the communes of Tan Lap and Tan Tien, the transition to ward status is expected to create a significant breakthrough in infrastructure and urban services. Beyond improving governance efficiency, the new model is also expected to open wider opportunities for investment attraction, industrial and service-sector expansion, job creation, and income growth for residents.

Nguyen Van Hung, a resident of Dong Phu ward, shared that what people desire most is concrete improvements in daily life. With better roads, upgraded healthcare and education services, and more convenient administrative procedures, residents will benefit directly.

In Dau Giay, transportation advantages are expected to become even more pronounced following its upgrade to ward status. Nguyen Ngoc Nhan, Head of the Management Board of the Dau Giay Agricultural and Food Wholesale Market, emphasized that Dau Giay’s strategic location at a major transportation crossroads creates particularly clear advantages. As the locality becomes a ward, this will create favorable conditions for the wholesale market to expand significantly, developing into a major gathering and transshipment center for agricultural products serving provinces and cities nationwide.

Nhan further stressed, “In the coming period, the scale and stature of the Dau Giay wholesale market will continue expanding, attracting more goods and traders from various regions. This growth will not only stimulate local economic development but also create broader business opportunities, additional employment, higher incomes, and improved living standards for residents.”

Mai Van Hien, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the Dau Giay ward People’s Committee, affirmed that based on existing strengths and a clear strategic orientation, the locality will maximize available resources to drive industrial, commercial, and service-sector growth, while gradually shifting agriculture toward a high-quality, sustainable model. Simultaneously, Dau Giay ward will continue promoting administrative reform, digital transformation, and comprehensive improvements in residents’ lives.

Upgrading from commune to ward status is not merely an administrative name change; more importantly, it is expected to improve the quality of urban governance, synchronized infrastructure investment, and provide better living environments. Transportation, education, healthcare, electricity, water systems, and public spaces will all continue to be prioritized to meet rising public demand. According to experts, urbanization only carries real meaning when it is tied to substantive investment that creates clear, tangible improvements in people’s daily lives. Ultimately, this undertaking is the most important benchmark for evaluating the success of urban development.

Dong Nai’s official elevation to city status, together with the creation of 10 new wards, therefore represents not only an administrative transformation, but also a broader expectation for a more modern and civilized urban landscape. More importantly, the true success of this process will be measured through concrete changes in people’s lives, from better infrastructure and more convenient services to improved jobs, incomes, and long-term quality of life.

The development of these new wards is expected to directly improve residents’ daily lives through expanded employment opportunities in commerce, services, and urban industry. As local economies grow, residents are expected to benefit from higher incomes, broader career opportunities, and more stable livelihoods. At the same time, increasingly advanced urban services will continue to contribute to substantial improvements in quality of life.

By Ho Thao – Translated by Minh Hong, Minho