(VOVworld) – The 2013 revised Land Law came into force on July 1. Its implementation will serve Vietnam’s socio-economic development and effectively, transparently, and democratically manage land resources. Ministries, localities, and sectors have actively cooperated and prepared for implementing the law.
Early this year, the Prime Minister issued a directive urging functional agencies to quickly prepare necessary conditions for implementation of the Land Law to create visible changes in land management and usage. Provinces and cities have built their own plans to implement the law including organizing conferences to explain the law to local leaders and officials.
Issuing legal documents, communicating the law to the people
Ministries and sectors have reviewed and revised intersector circulars and legal documents relating to land issues under their authority to conform with amendments and supplements of the 2013 Land Law. Public media have attempted to explain the law to the people. Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Nguyen Minh Quang said: “We have submitted to the Prime Minister a directive on activities for ministries, sectors, and localities to implement the law. We have worked with media agencies to publicize the law, especially to enterprises. We have also cooperated with other ministries to create by-law documents. The government has issued 5 decrees and will issue 2 more decrees on sanctions for administrative violations and land price fixing. We have drafted 10 informational circulars and will release them soon.”
Creating visible changes in land management and usage
The government has set targets for functional agencies to make drastic changes in land management and usage in 2014 and 2015. Central and local agencies will manage the implementation of approved land use projects, strictly control the transformation of land use for rice fields, special-use forests, and protected forests, and approve land lease applications in line with the new Land Law. Minister Quang again: “The Prime Minister issued a directive to push ahead the monitoring and reclaiming of land from delayed projects. Nearly 20,000 ha of land from behind-schedule projects have been reclaimed. The revised Land Law specifies that during the land rent registration period investors must deposit an amount of money equivalent to the land rent fee. 2 years after signing a land rent agreement, if the investors don’t use the land, the government will reclaim it.
Ministries and localities have paid special attention to fixing land prices. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has worked with ministries, localities, and sectors to build a land price frame, supervise the process of evaluating and fixing land prices in localities, and create a land price database.