The administrative building has been renovated into an open space for receiving, processing, and returning administrative documents to residents. The ward plans to staff the center with 18 personnel: 14 civil servants and 4 part-time employees.

On the morning of 27/6, at the People's Committee of An Khanh ward (171/1 Luong Dinh Cua Street, Thu Duc City), workers were putting the finishing touches on the ward's headquarters and public administrative center.

This is the new headquarters for An Khanh ward, following the merger of An Khanh, An Loi Dong, Thao Dien, Thu Thiem wards, and part of An Phu ward. The new administrative unit covers an area of approximately 14.82 square kilometers and has a population of approximately 73,629.

According to the administrative rearrangement plan, Thu Duc City has been reduced from 34 wards to 12: Hiep Binh, Tam Binh, Thu Duc, Linh Xuan, Long Binh, Tang Nhon Phu, Phuoc Long, Long Phuoc, Long Truong, An Khanh, Binh Trung, and Cat Lai.

According to a ward representative, at peak times, approximately 30 workers were involved in construction and document transfer to organize the ward headquarters. Final tasks like cleaning, installing internet service, air conditioning, and monitors are being expedited before operations begin.

Next door, the Cat Lai ward People's Committee hall is being cleaned and reorganized with tables, chairs, equipment, and documents to serve as a temporary workspace for the Department of Culture and Social Affairs and part-time staff while personnel arrangements are finalized.

Workers used a crane to install the sign for the An Khanh ward public administrative center.

The center, under construction for over two weeks, was previously the office of the former An Khanh ward People's Committee. Inside, many tasks, such as signage installation, painting, flooring, and electrical work, are nearing completion to meet the official operational deadline.

Ward staff are busy cleaning, packing files, and documents. According to Le Tien Si, Chief of Office of the District 1 People's Committee, the handover will begin on 28/6, with the new ward's staff settling in and new signage installed the following day.

About 4 kilometers away, the Cat Lai ward public administrative center on Nguyen Thi Dinh Street is nearly complete after two weeks of construction. The building was converted from the Cat Lai ward Cultural, Sports, and Community Learning Center. The total construction cost was approximately 1.5 billion VND from socialized capital.

The new Cat Lai ward was formed by merging Cat Lai and Thanh My Loi wards. It has a population of 62,000 and an area of approximately 19.65 square kilometers.

The Cat Lai ward administrative center covers over 600 square meters and is divided into areas for public reception, guidance, document return, staff offices, and more. It is expected to be staffed by 15 civil servants and a deputy director.

The public reception area is spacious and modern with an open design. Workers are currently cleaning the rows of seats, installing electrical wiring, and touching up paint.

Despite the ongoing disruption from relocating equipment and facilities, the public document reception and return service in Cat Lai ward remains operational.

The new Cat Lai ward, with a projected staff of 152, will temporarily operate from the two former headquarters of Cat Lai and Thanh My Loi wards. The new headquarters at 45 Phan Ba Vanh Street, covering nearly 5,000 square meters and formerly the Vocational Training and Continuing Education Center, will open soon.

At District 1 People's Committee, offices are filled with boxes of documents and equipment ready for relocation. This building will be handed over to serve as the headquarters for the new Sai Gon ward in the coming days.

Sai Gon ward was formed by merging Hamlet 1 of Nguyen Thai Binh ward; Hamlets 5, 6, 8, part of Hamlet 4, and Hamlet 10 of Da Kao ward; and Ben Nghe ward. The new ward spans over 3 square kilometers and has a population of over 47,022.

The Sai Gon ward People's Committee will inherit the nearly 150-year-old District 1 building (pictured below). Originally a recreation area for high-ranking French officers, it served as the Ministry of Justice for the Republic of Vietnam from 1955-1975 before becoming the District 1 People's Committee headquarters in 1975.

At Ward 9 People's Committee (District 3), over a dozen staff and militia members are busy cleaning the headquarters. The ward map at the entrance has been removed, and room signs are being replaced.

This building will become the headquarters for Nhieu Loc ward. The new ward, formed from wards 9, 11, 12, and 14, covers 1.71 square kilometers and has a population of approximately 88,090.

The District 3 People's Committee headquarters will become the office for Xuan Hoa ward. This new administrative unit is formed from Vo Thi Sau ward and part of Ward 4. After the merger, the ward covers over 2.2 square kilometers with a population of over 48,000.

Pictured below, workers install the sign for Binh Thoi ward People's Committee (270 Binh Thoi Street, District 11). This was the District 11 People's Committee headquarters before the transition. Binh Thoi ward was formed from Wards 3 and 10, and part of Ward 8, covering 1.52 square kilometers with a population of 55,851.

Under the administrative restructuring plan approved by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council on the morning of 18/4, the city will be reduced from 273 wards and communes to 102.

Quynh Tran - Dinh Van