Decree No. 62/2011/ND-CP dated July 26, 2011 of the Government on the establishment of provincial cities, towns, urban districts, wards and townships

RECOGNIZED AS AN URBAN CENTER OF TYPE III BEFORE A PROVINCIAL CITY

On July 26, 2011, the Government issued the Decree No. 62/2011/ND-CP on the establishment of provincial cities, towns, urban districts, wards and townships, and regulates 10 criteria to establish provincial cities.

In particular, a provincial city may be established when it fully meets criteria as having been recognized as an urban center of graded or higher by a competent authority; having a population of at least 150,000; having a population density of at least 6,000 people/km² in the inner area; having a non-agricultural labor force in the inner area accounting for at least 80% the total workforce; having the industry-construction and trade-services tourism sectors accounting for at least 80% of the economic structure; hiding an urban infrastructure system reaching the criteria on the grading of urban centers; having its master plan approved by a competent authority and having detailed master plans for at least 70% of its dependent administrative units; having at least two-thirds of its dependent commune-level administrative units being wards; having a synchronous construction duration of at least one year.

Also according to this Decree, 01 among 10 criteria to establish provincial cities is Urban functions: Being a provincial capital acting as a provincial-level general center and traffic and exchange hub or being a provincial-level urban center acting as an inter-provincial specialized center and traffic and exchange hub, with the role of promoting socio-economic development of an intra-provincial territory, a provincial" some sectors in an inter-provincial territory.

Besides, a town of a province or centrally run city may be established when it fully meets criteria as having been recognized as a grade-IV urban center by a competent authority; having a population of at least 50,000; having a population density of at least 4,000 people/km² in the inner area; having a non-agricultural labor force in the inner area accounting for at least 75% of the total workforce; having the industry-construction and trade-services-tourism sectors accounting for at least 75% of the economic structure and so on.

At the same time, an urban district of a centrally run city may be established when it fully meets criteria as having a population density of at least 10,000 people/km²; having a non-agricultural labor force accounting for at least 90% of the total workforce; having the industry-construction and trade-services-tourism sectors accounting for at least 90% of the economic structure and so on.