Removing obstacles in resettlement for key projects

The Dong Nai Provincial Land Fund Development Centre has proposed that the provincial People’s Committee continue to assign its Bien Hoa branch to receive, monitor, manage, and coordinate with the People’s Committees of nine local wards in the work of resettlement arrangement, aiming to accelerate progress of numerous projects, many of which are of major importance.

The Thong Nhat - Tan Mai resettlement area is built to provide housing for residents affected by key projects in Tran Bien and Tam Hiep wards. Photo: Pham Tung

Tackling the “surplus and shortage” of resettlement land

Tran Bien Ward, a central area of the province, is currently the site of numerous key projects under construction. However, many of these projects have faced delays, primarily due to difficulties in site clearance.

According to Pham Duc Hoang, Vice Chairman of Tran Bien Ward People’s Committee, several major projects in the area are struggling with land clearance, with the main bottleneck being the arrangement of resettlement for households whose land has been acquired. For instance, hundreds of households affected by the Cai Riverside Road Project are still awaiting resettlement.

According to the Dong Nai Province Land Fund Development Center, Clause 5, Article 86 of the Land Law stipulates: Land recovered under the provisions of Article 87 and Article 79 of this Law but not yet assigned or leased for use in urban areas shall be assigned to land fund development organizations for management, exploitation and use; in rural areas, it shall be assigned to the People's Committees at the commune level for management.

Explaining the current challenges, Pham Duc Hoang noted that, previously, when implementing projects, affected households were planned to be relocated to resettlement areas within the former Bien Hoa City. However, since the implementation of the two-tier local government model, many of these areas now fall under different wards.

According to new regulations, Tran Bien Ward can no longer approve the resettlement arrangement for residents affected by local projects into resettlement areas located in other wards. Therefore, the resettlement arrangements often encounter numerous difficulties, which can hinder the progress of site clearance for the projects.

The same issue has also affected eight other wards rearranged following the administrative reorganisation of the former Bien Hoa City.

According to Chu Tien Dung, Deputy Director of the provincial Land Fund Development Centre: Under Points k and m, Clause 1, Article 14, and pursuant to Point a, Clause 1, Article 17 of Government Decree No. 151/2025/ND-CP dated 12 June 2025 on the delineation of powers of the two-tier local authorities and the decentralisation and delegation of authority in the field of land, the management of land at the local level shall fall under the responsibility of commune-level land administration authorities.

However, there are problems and shortcomings in allocating resettlement land funds according to this regulation. Specifically, localities with resettlement land funds will only assign resettlement land to projects located within that ward or commune. This has led to situations where some localities have a large resettlement land fund and multiple resettlement areas, but few land recovery projects and thus little or no demand for allocation. Conversely, other localities with limited resettlement land but numerous land recovery projects are struggling with a serious shortage of sites for resettlement.

Based on this reality, in early September 2025, the Land Fund Development Center of Dong Nai Province petitioned the Provincial People’s Committee for measures to tackle the issue.

Accordingly, the Dong Nai Provincial Land Fund Development Center proposed that the Provincial People's Committee continue to assign the Bien Hoa Branch of the Land Fund Development Center to receive, monitor, manage, and coordinate with the People's Committees of Wards in arranging resettlement for the previous resettlement areas. This is to ensure the continuous and uninterrupted progress of disbursing public investment capital, as well as the arrangement of resettlement for projects previously allocated by the People's Committee of the old Bien Hoa city.

Proposals to expedite procedures for four resettlement areas

According to the Dong Nai Province Land Fund Development Center, at present, its Bien Hoa-based Land Fund Development Centre is handling land recovery and clearance for about 40 projects across nine wards: Tran Bien, Bien Hoa, Trang Dai, Tam Hiep, Ho Nai, Long Binh, Long Hung, Phuoc Tan, and Tam Phuoc.

The total resettlement demand for these projects is estimated at nearly 2,400 resettlement plots and 501 social housing units.

The Cai Riverside Road Project requires a substantial amount of land to provide resettlement for affected households. Photo: Pham Tung

Meanwhile, the remaining vacant land fund for resettlement in the 9 wards is approximately 386 plots of land. However, these plots are scattered in the wards and are not suitable for the locations where land is being recovered for project implementation, so people have not agreed with the resettlement arrangement plan. This has created significant difficulties in persuading households to hand over their land for project implementation.

To meet the urgent demand for resettlement, particularly for key projects, the Dong Nai Land Fund Development Centre has proposed that the provincial People’s Committee instruct relevant agencies to expedite the appraisal and approval of legal and planning documents for the construction of four resettlement areas. These include: the 3-hectare resettlement area in the former Binh Da Ward (now Tam Hiep Ward); the Tam Hiep Ward Resettlement Area; the 6.3-hectare Bu Long Commercial and Resettlement Residential Area; and the residential area supporting resettlement in the former Hiep Hoa Ward (now Tran Bien Ward).

By Pham Tung - Translated by My Le, Thu Ha