What is regional planning? Procedures for formulation of the regional planning in Vietnam

What is regional planning?

Pursuant to the provisions of the Law on Planning 2017, region means a part of a national territory that includes some neighboring provinces and central-affiliated cities adjacent to some river basins or has similarities in natural and socio-economic conditions, history, population and infrastructure, and has an interrelationship that makes a strong connection.

Regional planning means the planning that is aimed at realizing the national comprehensive planning at regional level in terms of spaces used for socio-economic, national defense and security activities, urban system and rural population distribution, development of inter-provincial regions, infrastructure, water resources of river basins, use of natural resources and environmental protection on the basis of provincial interconnection.

What is regional planning? Procedures for formulation of the regional planning in Vietnam (Internet image)

Procedures for formulation of the regional planning in Vietnam

Pursuant to Clause 3, Article 16 of the Law on Planning 2017, procedures for formulation of the regional planning include:

- The planning authority shall take charge and cooperate with Relevant Ministries, ministerial authorities and local governments in determining planning tasks and submitting them to the Prime Minister for approval.

- The planning authority shall select a planning consultancy; take charge and cooperate with Relevant Ministries, ministerial authorities and local governments in formulating planning; analyze, assess and forecast factors, conditions, resources, development situation, assess regional socio-economic development, propose viewpoints, objectives and prioritized development orientations serving as a basis for planning formulation;

- Relevant Ministries, ministerial authorities and local governments shall select a consultancy to develop the parts of the planning contents and appraise such parts before they are submitted to the planning authority;

- The planning authority shall take charge and cooperate with relevant Ministries, ministerial authorities and local governments in considering and addressing inter-regional and inter-provincial issues to ensure uniformity and effectiveness of the planning; propose adjustments to the contents of the planning developed by relevant Ministries, ministerial authorities and local governments;

- Relevant Ministries, ministerial authorities and local governments shall adjust and complete the parts of the planning and send them to the planning authority;

- The planning authority shall complete the planning and send it for enquiry as prescribed in Article 19 of this Law;

- The planning authority shall respond to opinions, complete the planning and submit it to the planning appraisal council;

- The planning authority shall complete the planning according to the conclusion of the planning appraisal council, which will submit it to the Prime Minister for approval.

Regulations for seeking opinions on planning

Pursuant to Article 19 of the Law on Planning 2017, the planning authority shall seek opinions from Ministries, ministerial authorities, People’s Committees at all levels of relevant local governments, the public, and other organizations and individuals related to planning, except for those related to the national sector planning, their opinions shall be sought by the authority organizing formulation of the planning. For the regional and provincial planning, the planning authority shall seek opinions from the People’s Committees of provinces of adjacent areas.

Opinions of organizations and individuals shall be sought through submission of documents and website of the planning authority. The enquired organizations shall give written responses.

The public’s opinions on the planning shall be sought through website of the planning authority, public places, questionnaires, conferences, workshops and in other forms in accordance with regulations of the law on exercise of democracy in communes, wards and townships.

Opinions must be considered, responded to and reported to a competent authority before the planning is appraised, decided or approved. The planning authority shall make opinions and responses to opinions publicly available.

Mai Thanh Loi

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