A breakthrough in resolving land procedures.

People come to complete administrative procedures at the Ha Nha Commune Public Administrative Service Center. Photo: TRONG HUNG

Clear procedures, dedicated staff.

According to new regulations effective July 1, 2025, the Chairman of the People's Committee of communes and wards has the right to decide on the conversion of land use purposes in certain cases, such as from agricultural land to non-agricultural land (excluding rice fields, special-use forests, protection forests, or areas requiring strict protection). While legal, planning, and financial conditions must be met, this direct authority at the local level has opened up a new impetus in land procedure reform.

Observations in communes and wards across Da Nang show that many procedures such as changing land use purposes, registering land use changes, and issuing land use right certificates are now handled directly at the "one-stop" service center at the commune level, eliminating the need to send documents to the district or county and wait as before.

Mr. Le Thanh Duong (Hoa Vang commune) shared: “Previously, if I wanted to change the land use purpose, I had to go to the district several times and wait for a whole month. Now, the commune resolves it in about 10-15 days, which is much more convenient.”

At the Hoa Tien Commune Public Administrative Service Center, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (Phu Son 2 village) commented: “The procedures are clear, and the staff are helpful, so there’s no need to go around in circles. This model is very practical, especially for elderly people like me.”

According to Mr. Ho Tang Phuc, Vice Chairman of the Hoa Vang Commune People's Committee, in July alone, the commune received and processed hundreds of land-related applications, including many cases of land use conversion. "People appreciate the transparency, efficiency, and friendliness of the services provided right in their own locality," Mr. Phuc said.

Proactive approach from local authorities leads to public satisfaction.

Decentralization not only eases the burden on citizens but also promotes improved management capacity at the local level. Many communes and wards have proactively organized professional training for land administration officials, adjusted internal processing procedures, and familiarized themselves with the new workload. Simultaneously, the application of technology in handling documents has also been prioritized by local authorities.

Mr. Le Van Thang, a land administration officer in Ha Nha commune, said: "Previously, the commune only received applications and forwarded them to the district. Now, we have to directly assess the current situation, check the planning and legal aspects. Although it's more stressful, it's clearly more practical and the people are more satisfied."

Having completed the land use conversion procedures in a short time, Ms. Dau Thi Diep (Phuoc Dinh village, Ha Nha commune) expressed: “Land cadastral officers came to the site to inspect and measure. On July 29th, I received a notice to go to the commune to collect the land use right certificate. The procedures are indeed much clearer, faster, and more transparent now than before.”

Mr. Mai Thanh Sang (second from the right), Chairman of the People's Committee of Ha Nha commune, personally presents land use right certificates to citizens. Photo: TRONG HUNG

Not only do local authorities process applications quickly, but they also have a thorough understanding of the area, enabling them to provide specific advice and resolve issues for residents on the spot.

Mr. Nguyen Tan Khoa, Chairman of the Hoa Tien Commune People's Committee, affirmed: "Clear decentralization helps the commune be more proactive and increases responsibility in appraising dossiers. In reality, the satisfaction of the people is the measure of the effectiveness of administrative reform."

Mr. Le Van Nhat, Deputy Director of the Public Administrative Service Center of Dai Loc Commune, also acknowledged: "Direct contact between officials and citizens helps to quickly resolve minor issues, avoiding situations where documents have to go through bureaucratic hurdles or get stuck due to lack of information."

In other wards such as Hoa Xuan, Hai Chau, Thanh Khe, etc., efforts to guide people in using the online public service portal have also been intensified. Many people were initially unfamiliar with the process, but gradually became accustomed to online operations.

Digitalization is a prerequisite.

Despite positive signs, reforms at the grassroots level still face numerous technical obstacles. Technological infrastructure in many communes, especially in mountainous and remote areas, still falls short of requirements. A lack of computers, unstable software, and unreliable internet connections sometimes disrupt the processing of documents.

Mr. Le Anh Tuan, Director of the Land Registration Office of Region 6, said: "Geographical distance makes it difficult to transfer documents between the commune and the city. Many people are not yet familiar with submitting documents online or making online payments, especially the elderly."

Upon investigation, it was found that after the merger of Da Nang and Quang Nam , each locality is still using its own land management software system, which is not yet synchronized. This causes delays in verifying and processing documents. For administrative reform to be truly effective, a unified and interconnected land data system from the city level to the grassroots level is essential. Updating planning, conducting legal assessments, and using specialized software are necessary skills to meet the increasingly high demands in document processing.

According to Mr. Nguyen Hong An, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, the implementation of a two-tiered government system, in parallel with Government Decree No. 151/2025 on decentralization and delegation of power in land management and the administrative apparatus at the grassroots level, is an important step to bring the government closer to the people.

For truly effective decentralization, digitalization is a prerequisite; therefore, the department is accelerating the digitization of all land records and building an interconnected data system from the city to the communes and wards. This helps shorten processing time, reduce errors, and enhance transparency and oversight capabilities.

A modern land management system will help people easily access public services right where they live, while also supporting professional staff in handling tasks more quickly and efficiently.

"We expect this to be an important foundation for building digital government and smart cities in the field of natural resources and environment," Mr. An said.

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