Efforts to remove obstacles in granting land use right certificates

Create positive change

Recently, participating in a number of meetings with voters of National Assembly deputies and Provincial People's Councils, we have noticed a "calming down" of recommendations and reflections related to the issuance of land use right certificates from the people. This has been explained by some localities: When transferring and merging the District Land Use Right Registration Office to the Provincial Land Registration Office (in February 2020), it was directly directed by the "vertical" sector, more closely and promptly, especially in removing difficulties and obstacles, so the people's concerns in the issuance of the first Certificate were gradually resolved.

Officials of the Provincial Land Use Registration Office measure and correct cadastral maps. Photo: Mai Hoa

Mr. Le Van Hoi (Hung Thong commune, Hung Nguyen district) had land allocated without proper authority since 1996. After many trips from commune to district, he could not prove that his family had fulfilled its financial obligations at that time to complete the procedures for granting the certificate. When the branch of the Land Registration Office of Hung Nguyen district sent people to the commune to directly investigate and resolve the issue, at the beginning of December, Mr. Hoi officially held the family's land title in his hand.

As for Mrs. Tran Thi Huong's family (Hung Tay commune, Hung Nguyen district), when implementing the National Highway 1 project to avoid Vinh in 2004, part of the area was recovered, but in the land recovery decision, the entire area was recovered. Therefore, after a while, when her family needed to make a land certificate, they were stuck because of that recovery decision. Based on the consultation and recommendation of the District People's Committee to issue a document to handle this "story", the branch of the District Land Registration Office, at the same time, coordinated with the People's Committee of Hung Tay commune and Mrs. Tran Thi Huong to complete the documents and in November 2021, her family was granted a red book.

Mr. Le Van Hoi's family and Mrs. Tran Thi Huong's family in Hung Nguyen district are two of tens of thousands of cases in the province that have not been granted the first land use right certificate. According to Mr. Vo Van Son - Director of the Provincial Land Registration Office, with the goal of solving the people's problem of granting certificates, recently, based on the strong direction of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, the Provincial Land Registration Office has also set out requirements for district-level branches to raise awareness and responsibility, based on careful study of current legal regulations to guide and remove difficulties and obstacles for people.

“Saturday for the people” of the Vinh City Land Registration Office branch directly went to the grassroots to help people with land procedures and records. Photo: Mai Hoa

The Provincial Land Registration Office also directed and encouraged branches to implement the activities of "Saturday for the people", "Sunday for the people", directly sending branch staff to communes, blocks, hamlets, and villages to guide and help people resolve difficulties and obstacles in the procedures for granting certificates. Typically, Vinh city, Nghi Loc, Hung Nguyen... have done this "story" very well. In particular, to facilitate people not to have to travel, branches have sent staff to communes, blocks, hamlets, and villages to register changes on land use right certificates due to the merger of administrative units and blocks, hamlets, and villages; to communes, hamlets, and villages to return agricultural land use right certificates after land consolidation and plot exchange to people.

In addition to changing working methods, attitudes, and the process of performing tasks and performing public duties; the district-level branches promptly reported any problems or unclear regulations to the Provincial Land Registration Office for timely answers and guidance. For some localities with many backlogs and problems in issuing certificates, the Provincial Office organized working groups to go directly to the localities to coordinate and resolve the problems.

"The timely support from the superior "vertical" industry with the motto: "Where there is difficulty, ask there; where there is trouble, solve there" has helped the branch staff to be confident, not afraid of making mistakes, afraid of making mistakes and having to take responsibility, also creating motivation to complete the job in the best way".

Ms. Phan Thi Huyen Thuong - Director of Hung Nguyen branch

Officers of Nghi Loc Land Use Registration Office carry out the procedure of issuing and exchanging Land Use Certificates. Photo: PV

With a responsible and people-oriented perspective, in 2021, despite the difficult context, especially the Covid-19 pandemic, the results of granting land use right certificates across the province still ensured the completion of a fairly large volume. Specifically, during the year, the whole sector received and processed 191,063 records of households and individuals registering, granting first-time land use right certificates and granting, re-granting, registering land changes, correcting errors on land use right certificates; of which, granting first-time land use right certificates with 11,580 certificates (including agricultural production land, forestry land, rural residential land, urban residential land); granting, re-granting with a total of 32,132 certificates; granting new certificates due to the exercise of land user rights 63,419 certificates; registering changes in 83,932 cases. Receiving and processing applications for Certificate issuance and registration of basic changes ensures public service time.

Continue to untie the "knots"

Besides positive changes, currently, the issuance of first-time land use right certificates for residential land allocated without proper authority before July 1, 2014 still faces many difficulties. Through the review direction of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment in 21 districts, cities and towns, there are still about 47,073 cases of households and individuals using residential land but have not been granted first-time land use right certificates. Of which, there are 14,630 cases of land allocation without proper authority; 820 cases in old collective housing areas; 31,623 cases of land allocation not in accordance with planning, apartments, villas, townhouses in urban projects...

Based on that reality, in 2021, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment proactively advised the Provincial People's Committee to issue Decision No. 28/2021/QD-UBND, dated September 17, 2021 on granting certificates of land use rights, house ownership rights and other assets attached to land to households and individuals using land in Nghe An province. According to the affirmation of Mr. Hoang Quoc Viet - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, this is an important basis for a breakthrough in resolving the above-mentioned backlog cases.

Officers and staff of the Provincial Land Use Registration Office deploy the measurement and correction of cadastral maps to serve land acquisition, land allocation, and issuance of certificates for key projects. Photo: Mai Hoa

The Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment also added that the sector is continuing to advise the Provincial People's Committee to issue a Plan to resolve the backlog in granting land use right certificates, house ownership rights and other assets attached to land for households and individuals in Nghe An province; in which, the Chairman of the District People's Committee will be assigned to review, count and clearly classify cases of households that have not been granted land use right certificates to find solutions for the people.

"It is expected that the Provincial People's Committee will advise the district-level units to assign targets to each district-level unit to strive to resolve 80% of outstanding cases that are eligible for granting certificates by the end of 2022."

Mr. Hoang Quoc Viet - Director of Department of Natural Resources and Environment

Along with that, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment will study to advise the Provincial People's Committee to issue decisions amending and supplementing Decision No. 07/2020/QD-UBND dated April 6, 2020 on promulgating the Regulation on coordination in handling a number of procedures for land registration, property attached to land, granting Certificates of land use rights, house ownership rights and other property attached to land for households and individuals in the province. At the same time, advise the Provincial People's Committee to amend the set of administrative procedures on land; develop internal procedures, electronic procedures to meet the requirements of administrative reform and digital transformation according to the policies of the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee.

Land planned for residential land allocation in Yen Thanh district. Photo: Mai Hoa

When the above mentioned works are carried out and deployed, they will contribute to fundamentally solving the needs of people in granting land use right certificates as well as exercising the rights of users in the province.