Director of Department of Natural Resources and Environment: Localities are afraid of responsibility in handling land procedures for people

What about the harassment of officials and civil servants?

Comrades: Thai Thanh Quy - Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; Nguyen Nam Dinh - Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; Nguyen Nhu Khoi - Member of the Provincial Party Executive Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council chaired the meeting. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Attending the meeting were comrades: Nguyen Van Thong - Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee; Nguyen Duc Trung - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Hoang Nghia Hieu - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee. Also attending were comrades of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee; Vice Chairmen of the Provincial People's Committee; leaders of provincial departments, branches, and sectors and districts, cities, and towns.

Speaking at the opening of the discussion session related to the field of land management, delegate Tran Ngoc Son (Tan Ky district) raised the issue that, through the trial of cases by the court, the rate of civil cases related to disputeslandaccounting for a high percentage of 30%.

Delegate Tran Ngoc Son (Tan Ky unit) discussed the sense of responsibility in handling administrative procedures on land of officials and civil servants. Photo: Thanh Cuong

The reason, in addition to the previous manual measurement leading to errors causing disputes, the most concerning issue is the sense of responsibility and public ethics of officials and civil servants who do not provide specific instructions to citizens during the process of making documents and procedures, affecting the rights of the parties involved, and then after a period of time, the issuance of land use right certificates causes disputes. On the other hand, the regulations on proceduresland use right certificatesThe complexity leads to the situation of "brokers", "agents" issuing certificates or officials and civil servants extorting money, leading to crime.

In 2022, the Court accepted and tried 6 cases related to granting land use right certificates to people and applied penalties from 1 to 6 years in prison.

Delegate Trinh Van Nha (Thanh Chuong district) discussed difficulties and obstacles in granting land use right certificates to people. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Also concerned about the issue of public ethics of officials and civil servants in performing public duties and issuing "red books" to people, delegate Trinh Van Nha (Thanh Chuong district) raised the issue: Currently, about 80% of complaints and denunciations received and processed by state agencies are related to land and there are officials and civil servants performing public duties who have issued certificates of land use rights in violation and have been prosecuted.

Therefore, it is recommended that the Provincial People's Committee pay attention to directing the acceleration and bringing the procedures for granting land use right certificates to online public services at levels 3 and 4, creating transparency and convenience for people, while overcoming the harassment and violations of officials and civil servants.

Delegates attending the meeting. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Local authorities fear responsibility in handling land procedures

Explaining the issues raised by the Provincial People's Council delegates within his authority, Mr. Hoang Quoc Viet - Member of the Provincial Party Executive Committee, Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment informed that currently the rate of granting land use right certificates in the province is high at over 95%, while nearly 5% have not been granted.

Through the Provincial People's Council's supervision of this content, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment has advised the Provincial People's Committee to issue Plan No. 815 to resolve the issuance of certificates for nearly 5% of the above-mentioned backlog cases.

Mr. Hoang Quoc Viet - Member of the Provincial Party Executive Committee, Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment said that localities are afraid of responsibility in resolving the backlog of procedures for granting land use right certificates. Photo: Mai Hoa

During the implementation process, the Department also advised the Provincial People's Committee to issue many directive and urging documents; at the same time, coordinated with relevant departments and branches to advise the Provincial People's Committee to issue Decision No. 28 on removing difficulties and obstacles in granting backlogged land use right certificates and directing localities to implement.

The Department also established inspection teams to guide localities, including 15/21 localities with large backlogs. The Department sent officers to accompany, support and guide.

According to the Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, up to now, after nearly 1 year of implementing Plan No. 815 of the Provincial People's Committee on resolving the backlog in granting land use right certificates, the Department's responsibility has completed the target assigned by the province, however, the rate of granting certificates under the responsibility of localities is still low.

The most difficult thing is to confirm financial obligations for outstanding cases. Although localities have established teams to inspect and verify, localities are afraid of responsibility in this matter, which affects progress.

"Saturday for the people" in handling administrative procedures on land of Vinh City Office Branch. Photo: Mai Hoa

To continue to remove difficulties, based on guidance and synthesis of problems and difficulties from localities, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment is coordinating with relevant departments to advise the Provincial People's Committee to amend and supplement Decision No. 28.

Regarding administrative procedures in resolving land issues, the Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment also admitted that they are currently complicated and cumbersome. Mr. Hoang Quoc Viet also said that this procedure is implemented according to the regulations of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and is not under the advisory responsibility of the industry. However, based on the synthesis of practice, the Department will report to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in the process of amending and supplementing the Land Law, including shortening administrative procedures.

Department of Natural Resources and Environment staff conduct measurements and issue land use right certificates. Photo: Mai Hoa

Mr. Hoang Quoc Viet also affirmed that after this meeting, the Department will continue to advise on solutions and roadmaps for granting land use right certificates for the remaining cases; strengthen direction, guidance, improve professional skills, sense of responsibility, and public ethics of ministries and civil servants, especially at the grassroots level, in handling procedures for granting land use right certificates to people.