After the restructuring of administrative units at the commune level, Điện Biên Đông district has developed a detailed plan for allocating and handling office buildings and facilities. As a result, six new administrative units at the commune level will take over eight buildings. Na Son commune will receive three buildings, including the Party Committee office, the district People’s Committee office, and the district Political Center. Other communes such as Mường Luân, Tìa Dình, Phình Giàng, Xa Dung, and Pú Nhi will each take over one appropriate building.

Vũ Ngọc Hoành, Chairman of People’s Committee of Điện Biên Đông district, said: “The arrangement of office buildings has been carefully considered to suit the local conditions and avoid disrupting administrative operations. We have removed the old office in Tìa Dình commune due to the risk of landslides. Additionally, we propose handing over three facilities (the Forestry Protection Station, the former Party Committee Office of Chiềng Sơ commune, which is currently used by the local police, and the Vocational and Continuing Education Center) to the provincial government and two others (the boarding house for ethnic minority children and the shelter for orphaned children, which are currently used by the Agricultural Service Center and the Land Registration Office) to the provincial Military Command, while reallocating 27 other buildings to the new communes. All school facilities, health stations, and commune police offices will be maintained for public service. The transfer of existing facilities for career services has helped the new communes stabilize quickly and continue serving people effectively.”

For Mường Nhé district, the government has actively developed a plan for reorganizing and managing public assets, especially handling surplus office buildings after the mergers. The district requires communes and units to strictly follow regulations to avoid waste and misuse. Nguyễn Khánh Đạt, Director of the Finance and Planning Office of Mường Nhé district, said: “We have asked communes to develop specific plans for each surplus office building. The handling process must comply with regulations, ensuring transparency and efficiency, aiming to save budget, optimize public assets, and help the two-level government system operate smoothly.”

After the reorganization of communes, the province has 2,096 office buildings and career service facilities under the management of district-level People’s Committees. Among them, 51 offices are managed by Điện Biên Phủ city and Điện Biên district; 252 offices are managed by other districts and towns, and 1,793 career service facilities (mainly schools) are transferred to commune-level management.

Faced with the issue of surplus office buildings, the provincial Department of Finance proposed a plan to handle these buildings according to the law on managing and using public assets. The proposal prioritizes converting unused office buildings into public service places such as healthcare, education, cultural centers, or to be managed by organizations with appropriate functions.

Regarding the solution for surplus office buildings after administrative reorganization, Trần Quốc Cường, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, emphasized: “In the short term, some surplus buildings from the reorganization can be converted into housing or government guesthouses. The conversion of office buildings into residential houses or government housing must have a clear plan to be implemented. We will establish a steering committee with clear roles and responsibilities for each member.”

Earlier, the provincial People’s Committee had directed relevant departments, sectors, and local authorities to thoroughly review and assess the existing office buildings. The rearrangement must be practical, convenient for people, and make the most of available assets to avoid waste and loss. Priority should be given to essential sectors such as education, healthcare, and community culture. Buildings that are under construction or at risk of being affected due to administrative unit changes also need to be carefully reviewed. These projects need to be handled appropriately to prevent waste and ensure they are used for their intended purposes. The Department of Finance has been assigned as the focal point to work closely with other departments and localities to compile difficulties, challenges, and propose timely solutions.

The province requires localities to fully account for and inventory assets, including buildings, land, vehicles, and equipment, as a basis for developing and implementing specific handling plans. The proactive and flexible approach in handling surplus office buildings after restructuring and merging demonstrates Điện Biên’s high commitment to effectively implementing the policy of streamlining the administrative apparatus, saving the budget, and using public assets efficiently.

With a methodical, thorough, and practical approach, Điện Biên is steadily stabilizing its organizational structure, enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the two-level government system, and contributing to economic and social development, as well as serving people’s needs better.