Voters hope for stronger transport links between Ho Chi Minh City, coastal destinations

Organized by the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Tan Son Nhat Ward, the event connected candidates running for seats in the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council from Electoral Unit No. 16.

March 15 is designated as the nationwide election day for Vietnam’s legislative and local representative bodies.

On Sunday, voters across the country will cast ballots to elect deputies to the 16th National Assembly, the national legislature, and members of People’s Councils at provincial and commune levels for the 2026–31 term.

At the meeting, the voters expressed optimism after hearing the candidates present their action plans.

Nguyen Van Loc, a voter from Tan Son Nhat Ward, said he believed that those elected would actively listen to the concerns and aspirations of the public while protecting the legitimate rights and interests of the citizens.

The voters noted that Ho Chi Minh City and the country as a whole are entering a significant period of growth.

In recent years, the National Assembly and the municipal People’s Council have introduced various mechanisms and policies aimed at unlocking economic potential, ensuring employment, and improving income for residents.

The voters called on candidates to develop concrete action plans that would allow them to effectively represent citizens, address bottlenecks in administrative procedures, and promote social welfare.

In particular, the voters insisted on expanding the city’s tourism sector, especially marine tourism, as the city is now home to Can Gio, Con Dao, and Vung Tau.

The new Ho Chi Minh City was formed by merging the old city with Binh Duong Province and Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province, where the popular Vung Tau beach and Con Dao Island are located, in July last year.

The voters stressed the need to accelerate key transport infrastructure projects connecting Ho Chi Minh City with these destinations, thereby extending the city’s economic and tourism development space toward the sea.

Candidates pledge to listen and act

Speaking at the meeting, Pham Hong Son, chief of office of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, said that if elected to the People’s Council, he would carefully listen to and value voters’ opinions and feedback.

He pledged to compile and promptly report these concerns to relevant authorities.

He also emphasized the importance of overseeing how agencies respond to voters’ recommendations.

“Maintaining close contact with voters and understanding their concerns is extremely important," Son said.

“Their opinions must be reported to competent authorities in a timely and accurate manner."

If elected as the deputy of the People’s Council, Son would leverage his role as chief of office of the municipal Party Committee to effectively convey voters’ concerns and proposals to city leaders, he said.

Tang Huu Phong, deputy head of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee’s Commission for Propaganda and Mass Mobilization, also pledged to dedicate his abilities, knowledge, and experience to fulfilling voters’ expectations and contributing to the city’s development if elected.

He previously served as a deputy of the municipal People’s Council representing former Tan Binh and Phu Nhuan Districts.

He said being nominated again to run in wards including Phu Nhuan, Duc Nhuan, Cau Kieu, Tan Son Nhat, and Tan Son Hoa provides favorable conditions for him to continue engaging closely with residents.

He vowed to fully listen to voters’ needs, aspirations, and policy expectations and promptly relay them to relevant authorities while pushing for timely solutions to issues raised by the public.

Phong was also committed to closely supervising the drafting of resolutions by the municipal People’s Council as well as the implementation of those resolutions by relevant agencies and organizations.

Having previously served as editor-in-chief of Tuoi Tre (Youth) and Sai Gon Giai Phong newspapers and now overseeing the press and publishing sector within the Party Committee’s propaganda and mass mobilization commission, Phong said he has many opportunities to organize forums that gather opinions from experts, scientists, and citizens.

These forums would help develop and refine policies through the media while ensuring that public initiatives and ideas are fully heard and incorporated into mechanisms designed to support the city’s socio-economic development.

The Electoral Unit No. 16 includes the following candidates:

– Pham Hong Son, member of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee and chief of office of the municipal Party Committee

– Tang Huu Phong, deputy head of the municipal Party Committee’s Commission for Propaganda and Mass Mobilization

– Le Hoang Ha, secretary of the Party Committee and chairman of the People’s Council of Tan Son Nhat Ward

– Nguyen Hong Tam, director of the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control

– Huynh Anh Phuong Thao, vice-chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Phu Nhuan Ward and secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union of the ward