Part 2: Where it is flexible, where it is a dilemma

Therefore, after reception, many localities have arranged satisfactorily or have reasonable and feasible arrangement plans, but some localities still face difficulties and confusion when solving the “problem” of arranging and using headquarters.

Flexible functional conversion

Na Sang commune was established on the basis of merging 4 administrative units including: Na Sang, Sa Lông, Ma Thì Hồ, and Mường Chà town. Along with the headquarters of the 4 old communes, Na Sang received additional land and housing facilities from the old Mường Chà district. Therefore, the volume of public assets - land and housing that the commune received and manages is not small. Immediately after the new government went into operation, the commune People’s Committee proactively temporarily assigned headquarters not yet arranged for operation to agencies and units for protection and preservation. When there was an official transfer decision from the Provincial People’s Committee, the facilities were all arranged, organized, or had reasonable and scientific usage plans.

Trần Hồng Quân, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Na Sang commune, affirmed: “The surplus headquarters that the commune received and manages in the area have all been used effectively, promoting their value, or have arrangement and allocation plans.” Quân listed: The old Na Sang commune headquarters was assigned to Na Sang Ethnic Boarding Secondary School, currently serving as nap rooms for students who do not stay in boarding but are entitled to lunch at school; the old Sa Lông commune headquarters will be assigned to Economic - Defense Corps 379 as proposed by the unit; the district Social Insurance agency was assigned to the enforcement agency; the District Division of Agriculture and Environment became official housing for officials and civil servants...

In particular, the old Ma Thì Hồ commune headquarters is currently temporarily assigned to Ma Thì Hồ Ethnic Boarding Secondary School as official housing for officials and teachers; pending the completion of procedural documents, the commune health station will be moved here because the current medical facility is located in a narrow alley, inconvenient for emergency and medical examination and treatment. A part of this headquarters was assigned to the village as a community activity hall. Only the old District Division of Ethnic Affairs, due to being built long ago and degraded, is being considered by the commune for a repair plan to become a cultural house for the residential group.

Arranging the use of headquarters reasonably, Na Sang is determined not to leave public assets empty or wasted. Not only Na Sang, but many communes and wards have also basically arranged surplus headquarters satisfactorily after the arrangement and merger.

The dilemma of handling

Before the arrangement and operation of the 2-level local government, the province had 10 districts and towns. Correspondingly, there are currently 10 new communes and wards receiving the facilities of the 10 old districts and towns. With a large volume of public assets, some areas are facing difficulties in arranging and handling them.

In Mường Lay ward, many land and housing facilities have been assigned for management and protection but remain empty, inactive, and without a handling plan. Mường Lay ward was established on the basis of merging 4 communes and wards. After the arrangement, most vertical agencies withdrew from the area, leaving behind land and housing assets. Therefore, Mường Lay ward is currently transferred and receiving the handover of nearly 20 land and housing facilities from old communes and vertical units.

The new ward administrative apparatus mainly uses the headquarters of the Town Party Committee and the People’s Committee of the old town, which is sufficient to ensure operating conditions and meet work needs. Many spacious headquarters are currently empty and unused such as: The headquarters of Sông Đà, Lay Nưa, Na Lay wards, the Treasury, Tax office... of the old Mường Lay Town.

Trần Thanh Mai, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Mường Lay ward, said: With the transferred and received land and housing facilities, the ward put them into a management plan first, then will build a handling plan, for example, leasing or auctioning. However, for the Mường Lay area, the auction of land and housing assets does not have much prospect. Because previously, when the old government was still operating, the town proposed an auction plan for a few facilities but did not achieve the expected results. The plan to convert functions into classrooms is also unsuitable because the school system in the area has been invested in synchronously and stably, so no unit has a need to receive them.

Tủa Chùa commune also faced difficulties when being handed over a large number of land and housing assets from agencies and units of the old district and commune. Sharing the situation where some land and housing facilities are only managed and protected but do not yet have exploitation and usage plans. Phạm Quốc Đạt, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Tủa Chùa commune, expressed: “To manage and use effectively and avoid wasting public assets, the commune proposes that the Provincial People’s Committee and provincial departments and branches send officials directly to support the commune in building a complete plan for handling and arranging land and housing headquarters, especially surplus headquarters. At the same time, there needs to be specific guidance on processes and procedures for handling surplus assets, assets that have been fully depreciated or no longer have usage value; guiding the leasing and lending of surplus land and housing headquarters while waiting for handling by competent authorities to avoid wasting assets...”.

It can be seen that the handling of surplus public assets after the merger is not just a story of mechanical “surplus - shortage,” but depends greatly on the socio-economic characteristics of each area. Besides the proactiveness and flexibility of the grassroots government, there is a great need for the involvement and specific guidance on mechanisms and policies from functional levels and sectors. Unlocking resources from land and headquarters not only helps avoid wasting the state budget but also contributes significantly to promoting socio-economic development in localities after the merger.

(to be continued)