Proactively helping residents obtain "red books"

Bu Dang Commune has launched the 180-day campaign to assist residents with procedures for the first-time issuance of land-use rights certificates (often referred to as "red books"). Starting on July 22, the campaign seeks to resolve thousands of land dossiers that have been backlogged for years by ensuring that all eligible cases obtain their "red books" in compliance with the law.

Members of a working group verify the boundaries of a household's farm plot in Bu Dang Commune.

The initiative reflects a shift from a management-oriented approach to a service-oriented one, bringing the local government closer to the people.

Commune officials visit farms to verify land boundaries

During the process of collecting and compiling data to support leadership and socio-economic development in 2026, Bu Dang Commune identified 2,117 land plots that had not yet been issued first-time “red books”, with the highest number located in villages with large ethnic minority populations. The Commune People's Committee developed a scheme and established working groups to visit households directly, assist residents, and implement the procedures efficiently and accurately.

After traveling more than 3 kilometers along red dirt roads and passing through cashew farms owned by the S'tieng community, Dieu Ku, 40, a resident from Vinh Thien Hamlet, guided officials from the Bu Dang Commune Economic Division, the hamlet head, and survey team members to his family's 2,000-square-meter farm plot to identify its boundaries and update the information and data required for the issuance of the “red book”.

"Through the 180-day campaign to assist residents with procedures for the first-time issuance of land-use rights certificates, in addition to helping residents obtain their “red books,” the commune is gradually shifting the mindset from “residents only seeking out the government when in need” to “the government proactively reaching out to support residents”. This helps realize a model of local government that is close to the people, works alongside them, places people at the center of public service, and uses citizens’ satisfaction as the benchmark for government performance."

Tran Xuan Hien, Vice Chairman of the Bu Dang Commune People's Committee

Dieu Ku stated that his father, Dieu Ke, cleared the land many years ago and gave it to him in 2006 for farming. His father has since passed away. The farm has not been issued a “red book,” and its boundary with the neighboring household is marked only by a footpath and temporary wooden stakes. "My family has long wanted to obtain a “red book” to confirm our land use rights, but we did not know how to complete the procedures. Because I did not understand the law and thought the process would be difficult, require many trips, and be expensive, I left it unresolved until now. Now that the commune is helping residents obtain their “red books,” my family is delighted," said Dieu Ku.

Similarly, the farm plot belonging to the family of Dieu Son, also from Vinh Thien Hamlet, was cleared by his father decades ago. Since his father suffered a severe stroke and is no longer able to work, the family wishes to have the "red book" issued in Dieu Son's name. His family is also uncertain of the exact size of the land. Because of difficult economic circumstances, limited understanding of administrative procedures, and hesitation to contact government officials, they had left the matter unresolved. With the commune now rolling out the large-scale issuance of “red books,” the family hopes to receive their certificate soon.

According to Nguyen Tri Trung, Head of Vinh Thien Hamlet, the hamlet still has 240 land plots that have not been issued first-time “red books”, most of which belong to S'tieng ethnic minority households facing difficult circumstances. To achieve the goal of ensuring that all eligible cases receive certificates in accordance with regulations, the hamlet is implementing three steps, including collecting information on land plots, conducting verification and investigation, and carrying out field inspections to determine boundaries, install markers, and update data.

"Because most of the land has been passed down from parents and grandparents and lacks complete legal documentation, we are exercising great caution during the verification process. Gathering opinions from adjacent land users and relevant parties must be objective and comply with the law to prevent future disputes. At present, the hamlet has completed the measurement and survey of approximately 15 land plots," said Trung.

Pilot model developed for commune-wide expansion

According to Tran Xuan Hien, Vice Chairman of the Bu Dang Commune People's Committee, the fact that 2,117 land plots have not yet been issued first-time “red books” indicates that land registration, management, and the completion of cadastral records in the area were previously inadequate and remain unresolved. Many cases involve changes in land users, handwritten land transfer documents, or long-term land use without completing the legally required procedures. In addition, surveying and mapping conducted over the years lacked consistency and precision, while records and documents relating to land origins remain incomplete, creating difficulties in certificate issuance and affecting the rights of residents.

To implement the campaign, Bu Dang Commune established seven working groups to support the issuance of “red books” in its seven hamlets. Each hamlet head serves as the leader of a working group, with leaders of mass organizations as members, while officials from the Commune Economic Division provide additional support. The working groups are responsible for reviewing and standardizing data, verifying the current status, land use origins, dispute status, and legal conditions of each land plot. After receiving dossiers from the hamlets, the Commune Economic Division will review and classify them to develop appropriate processing plans. Vinh Thien Hamlet has been selected as the pilot location before the model is expanded throughout the commune.

The Commune People's Committee has directed that dossiers be classified into three groups for implementation. For dossiers that meet all legal requirements, the specialized division will guide residents through the procedures for certificate issuance. For dossiers with outstanding issues, the commune will coordinate with relevant agencies and units to verify and resolve specific matters, including inheritance, land-use origins, and other arising issues. Cases beyond the commune's authority will be compiled and submitted to the competent authorities for consideration and resolution.

According to Hien, one advantage of the campaign is that all land-related data had already been collected during the 30-day-and-night campaign to collect and compile data supporting the leadership and direction of socio-economic development in Bu Dang Commune for 2026, which helped shorten the time required for reviewing and processing dossiers. The Commune People's Committee has also hired a professional surveying unit to conduct land surveys and assist residents in preparing dossiers and completing procedures through the National Public Service Portal. Residents are only required to fulfill financial obligations as prescribed by law, including land use fees and other applicable charges, if any. Bu Dang Commune aims to complete the scheme’s goals before January 31, 2027.

By Quang Minh – Translated by Minh Hong, Thu Ha