Overcoming "formalism"

(Baonghean) - In the 60s of the last century, production corporations of Southern cadres gathered in the West of Nghe An to clear wild forests and build state-owned farms and forestry farms, enriching the vast land of the province.

Before the renovation period, due to the centralized subsidy management mechanism, the production and business efficiency of state-owned farms and forestry farms was very limited despite the large labor force and land fund. In the transformation of the market economy mechanism, state-owned farms and forestry farms were rearranged and reorganized according to the Government's decrees and the decisions of the Provincial People's Committee.

After many reorganizations, as of June 30, 2014, in Nghe An there were 12 agricultural and forestry single-member LLCs (converted from state-owned farms and forestry farms); 11 protective forest management boards, 3 special-use forest management boards (of which 9 boards were converted from state-owned forestry companies and forestry farms). Through the reorganization, the organizational structure of the farms and forestry farms was renewed, in line with the market mechanism, so they operated more effectively, but land management was more difficult. Before the reorganization, the total land area managed by the farms and forestry farms was 223,733.14 hectares, after the reorganization it was up to 504,883.30 hectares, an increase of 281,150.16 hectares compared to before. The area of ​​land still in dispute and encroachment before the reorganization (2005) was 3,301.04 hectares, after the reorganization there were still 1,853.64 hectares. The area of ​​land assigned to local management from 2005 to December 31, 2012 was 89,184.13 hectares (reaching 117.07% of the planned plan). However, the situation of local people lacking production land (some places lacking residential land) is still fierce, making land disputes and encroachment even more complicated. Production land of agricultural and forestry farms is assigned to each worker's family, with higher efficiency than before. However, after many worker households are retired, companies do not reclaim the land to assign to other worker households and newly recruited workers, causing difficulties for land management and contract management of the company. Illegal leasing, lending, transferring, and changing of land use purposes have been going on for a long time but have not been resolved completely. The work of reviewing allocated land funds, granting Land Use Right Certificates according to Decree 181/2004/ND-CP, and marking boundary markers has not been carried out.

The above situation raises an urgent issue: It is necessary to re-plan and carry out procedures for land allocation to companies and management boards in accordance with the provisions of the Land Law. Land allocation must be reasonable, ensuring both sufficient land area for companies and management boards to develop production and ensuring production land and residential land for local people. For households receiving land contracts for agricultural and forestry farms, it is necessary to transfer land use rights in accordance with the provisions of the Land Law. A current difficulty is that the land area of ​​companies and management boards has not been measured and marked in the field. The review of land funds of agricultural and forestry farms in previous years was done through books, based on contract documents, which did not ensure accuracy and did not have cadastral records. Due to lack of funds for measuring maps and marking boundaries, all agricultural and forestry companies; management boards of protective forests and special-use forests have not had a basis for land allocation in accordance with the provisions of the Land Law. The Provincial People's Committee has just allocated funds to 3 units (Nghe An 19/5 Vegetable and Fruit Company, Tan Ky and Con Cuong Protective Forest Management Boards) to organize measurement and marking, but the work is not yet complete, so it cannot issue land certificates or carry out land lease procedures according to regulations.

As long as land allocation is based on records and not on the field, land management is still a formality. There must be a fundamental solution originating from the reality of land use in the field to solve the complex problems in current land management. Management of agricultural and forestry land is not only related to the economic development of the province and each locality but also related to production and people's lives. Therefore, all levels, sectors and local authorities need to coordinate closely to solve this problem well.

Tran Hong Co