Municipal authorities are asking for greater autonomy in key areas including budget finance, personnel organisation and administrative punishments so that the city can better ensure sustainable socio-economic development.

More automony would enable the city to take the initiative in carrying out sustainable development programmes, the Vice Chairman of the municipal People's Committee, Le Minh Tri, said at a meeting held on Friday to review implementation of the 1992 Constitution. 

In the long term, HCM City and other cities under the Government would need further decentralisation, Tri told the meeting which brought the city's leaders and experts together to discuss possible constitutional amendments.

The implementation of the 1992 Constitution is being reviewed since last August and the draft of the amended constitution, which is expected to better meet the needs of the country's current situation, will be presented to the National Assembly for approval in October 2013.

The head of the HCM City Research Institute for Development, Nguyen Trong Hoa, suggested that the Constitution should be amended to authorise major cities to organise their own administrative management apparatus in accordance with local socio-economic development needs.

A report prepared by the institute also suggested legal amendments to budget collection in specific areas including the natural environment and transportation. It asked that the cities are allowed to regulate fee collection according to their socio-economic development conditions. These include environmental protection fees, infrastructure development and registration of individual vehicles.

The majority of the participants at the meeting suggested the People's Committee be renamed "Administration Committee" to better reflect its basic and legal functions.

Former chairwoman of the city People's Council, Pham Phuong Thao, suggested that an urban police force be set up to maintain order and security in the city.

Source: VNS