Flexible and streamlined resolution of land administration procedures

More than three months into the implementation of the two-tier local government model, the processing of land-related administrative procedures at the commune level across Dong Nai province has largely stabilized. Local agencies have adopted flexible approaches to accelerate the issuance of land use right certificates for organizations, businesses, and residents, employing creative solutions, applying technology, and digitizing land data to enhance transparency.

Chon Thanh ward in Dong Nai province is currently rolling out an intensive “90-Day Campaign to clean up and enhance land records and synchronize them with the National Land Database”.

At the same time, authorities are accelerating administrative reform and launching a 90-day campaign to update and enhance land data, with the goal of better serving the public.

Cutting out intermediary steps

Opening its doors to the public from 7:30 a.m. every day, the Administrative Service Center of Nha Bich commune is constantly bustling with residents coming to process paperwork, particularly at the counters for land, construction, and environmental services.

Although he often has to travel a long distance to handle land-related procedures, Nguyen Hung Vuong, a resident of Ho Chi Minh City, is satisfied as his requests are always processed quickly and efficiently. “Since the two-tier local government model was introduced, we no longer have to visit multiple offices like before. As a result, the time required has been greatly reduced. All land records are received and handled at a single point in accordance with the proper procedure, which is extremely convenient for the public,” Vuong said cheerfully.

In recent years, the real estate market has remained subdued. However, due to land fluctuations following the administrative boundary merger, the number of land-related documents requiring processing has increased. “The commune has assigned staff to provide on-site assistance to citizens in submitting documents and filling out forms and declarations; checking the content and components of application files; and guiding them in creating accounts, submitting documents, and making online payments via the public service portal. As a result, the average processing time has been reduced by about two days compared to before,” said Tran Van Hoang, Deputy Director of the Administrative Service Center of Nha Bich commune.

According to statistics from July 1 to September 20, 2025, the Dong Nai Provincial Land Registration Office received nearly 112,000 new applications, rising to over 116,000 when including pending cases carried over from previous periods. Of these, more than 88,000 have been processed, with 99.6% completed on or ahead of schedule.

Although the number of land records in Nha Bich commune is not overwhelming, several challenges have arisen during the reception and processing stages due to inconsistent data connectivity between the National Public Service Portal, the Dong Nai-S management and operations system, and the provincial land management software. Additionally, some citizens are slow to fulfill their land tax obligations. Dang Quoc Hung, Vice Chairman of the Nha Bich commune People’s Committee, shared: “We have introduced various solutions, assigning staff to monitor, follow up and remind departments to handle documents promptly, strengthening data integration, cutting unnecessary intermediary steps, and sending notifications to citizens when documents are overdue. This endeavor helps reduce situations where citizens are left waiting without knowing the reason.”

At the Administrative Service Center of Dong Tam commune, Nguyen Khanh Nga and many other residents were pleased to find their land applications processed in under an hour. Staff then issued an appointment slip informing them to return in 15 days to collect their certificates. “I didn’t expect it to be this fast. It’s a testament to the spirit of creativity, responsibility, and service to the people that the commune leadership promised us,” Nga said.

Since early July, Dong Tam commune has received 72 land-related applications. Some are still being processed due to certain challenges. However, thanks to the authorities’ flexible and decisive approach, these obstacles have been gradually resolved, building public trust.

Nguyen Chi Thuong, Vice Chairman of the Dong Tam Commune People's Committee, stated that the local administration promptly established support points for land-related procedures and assigned staff to assist citizens in completing their applications, thereby reducing the need for corrections or additional documents. As a result, many eligible applications have now been processed.

Bringing land procedures “closer to the people”

To swiftly resolve outstanding administrative issues for residents, the Dong Nai Department of Agriculture and Environment has deployed nearly 300 civil servants to the public administrative service centers of 95 communes and wards across the province. Their task is to support the implementation of state management duties, especially in the land sector, an area currently drawing “significant public concern” in many localities.

Nguyen Xuan Thao, an officer of the Dong Nai Provincial Land Registration Office, said: “Due to the sudden surge in applications following the administrative merger and the implementation of the two-tier local government model, the Binh Long ward branch now receives 70 to 80 applications per day. We are making every effort to provide support day and night, working closely alongside the locality to address the current backlog. Issues and recommendations arising from the grassroots level will also be compiled and reported to the competent local authorities so that appropriate and synchronized solutions can be put in place.”

In addition, the Provincial Land Registration Office is prioritizing resources to implement the “90-Day Campaign to Clean, Enrich, and Synchronize the Land Database with the National Land Database.” This undertaking is considered a critical step in the process of standardizing and building a data system that is “accurate, complete, clean, and live.”

Mai Van Phan, Deputy Director of the Department of Land Management under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, stated that the campaign will focus on verifying information about land users and property owners, including plot numbers, land use right certificates, house ownership certificates, and citizen identification numbers, ensuring synchronization with the National Population Database. Once standardized, enriched, and cleaned, each land plot will be assigned a unique identification code. This undertaking will enable citizens to access transparent and comprehensive information when conducting searches, while also reducing reliance on paper records and facilitating faster administrative processing.

Despite certain ongoing limitations, after more than three months of implementing the two-tier local government model, Dong Nai has begun to gradually realize its vision of a modern public administration that is close to the people and serves the people. This progress has been driven by closely aligning with set goals and tasks, ensuring decisive and coordinated leadership, promptly addressing obstacles and bottlenecks, and resolving lingering issues at the grassroots level, especially in the area of land management.

By Ngan Ha – Translated by Thu Hien, Minho