Members of Parliament express concerns about the ability of civil servants to buy houses.

On November 21st, the National Assembly discussed in the plenary session the draft Resolution on piloting the implementation of commercial housing projects through agreements on acquiring land use rights or existing land use rights.

Do not take rice paddies or agricultural land indiscriminately and indiscriminately.

Expressing support for the draft resolution, according to National Assembly Deputy Trinh Xuan An (Dong Nai Delegation), the issuance of this additional resolution by the National Assembly will provide a basis for unlocking resources and increasing land resources for socio-economic development.

Agreeing with the nationwide pilot program, Mr. An argued that it shouldn't be a general, indiscriminate approach, but rather a pilot program tailored to specific projects and criteria. He emphasized that the regulations in the draft resolution would certainly only apply to urban areas, preventing the widespread and indiscriminate seizure of rice paddies and agricultural land for implementation. This is a fairly reasonable approach.

Mr. Trinh Xuan An giving a speech (Photo: Quang Vinh)

Regarding the pilot program for national defense and security land, Mr. An stated that this type of land is already strictly regulated in the Land Law and the Housing Law for the development of social housing and housing for the armed forces. Currently, there is also Directive No. 34-CT/TW on strengthening the Party's leadership over the development of social housing in the new situation. These mechanisms aim to improve the living conditions of officers and soldiers of the armed forces, as well as to maximize the value and effectiveness of national defense and security land.

“I propose adding the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security to the list of land areas planned for pilot projects, simultaneously with the list of projects and works requiring land acquisition, to ensure proactive planning. When implementing these projects, they must also adhere to the general regulations of this resolution, implementing the arrangement of public assets as stipulated in the Land Law and the Housing Law to ensure strict adherence to regulations. When the resolution is passed, it should also include principles to create a healthy and appropriate real estate market that meets requirements, avoiding land speculation and violations of the law,” Mr. An said.

Real estate prices are skyrocketing, making it difficult for laborers and civil servants to afford a home.

Meanwhile, National Assembly Deputy Nguyen Cong Long (Dong Nai Delegation) expressed many concerns regarding the draft Resolution on piloting the implementation of commercial housing projects through agreements on land use rights or existing land use rights.

According to Mr. Long, land pilot programs are different from other policies. Once structures are built on the land and the land use is changed, it is impossible to rectify the situation, leading to immeasurable harm, especially in the context of pursuing multiple food security and other objectives.

Mr. Nguyen Cong Long giving a speech (Photo: Quang Vinh)

"If this Resolution is passed, what kind of legal framework will it create? The National Assembly has painstakingly enacted land and real estate laws. To date, we have basically completed the mechanisms for issuing regulations on real estate business, land, housing, and planning. However, if another pilot resolution is passed, investors will not need to comply with the requirements of the above laws. Thus, we will have two legal frameworks for real estate business activities: one that fully complies with current laws, and the second, this resolution with more advantages. How will this impact the market?" Mr. Long wondered.

He also raised the issue that the current real estate situation has many problems, such as skyrocketing property prices, making it very difficult for the poor, laborers, and civil servants to afford housing. “A civil servant, even without eating anything, would only be able to buy a house in a few hundred years. Voters are asking why there isn't any mechanism to pilot and resolve the obstacles to social housing. Meanwhile, this draft resolution only focuses on commercial housing, without any policies for vulnerable groups. We believe this is a very important issue to consider,” Mr. Long emphasized.

According to Mr. Long, many localities are currently not facing any obstacles in converting land use purposes for commercial projects. So why should a pilot program be implemented across the entire region? It's impossible to open it up on a large scale like this.

Delegates attending the session (Photo: Quang Vinh)

The document assessed the negative consequences such as the accumulation of agricultural land, land speculation, and the buying up of land in anticipation of price increases. However, Mr. Long argued that this is no longer a potential risk, as the practice of accumulating agricultural land has been going on for decades.

“Why are associations and investors so persistent in lobbying the Government and the National Assembly to pursue this policy? It's because of profit. With commercial housing, the maximum profit comes from land rent differentials. If we follow current laws, there isn't much room left, so they're focusing on this land issue. This is a matter of concern and must be controlled,” Mr. Long stated, while also pointing out that the draft stipulates that it can only be implemented in urban areas and cannot exceed 30% of the additional area in the planning. Limiting this area is necessary, but the way they “expand the room” is not difficult. The most important question is, where does this 30% come from? If it all falls into rice paddies or forest land, there will be no way to remedy the situation.

Mr. Do Duc Duy gives an explanation (Photo: Quang Vinh)

During the session, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Do Duc Duy explained that for land designated for national defense and security purposes, written approval from the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of National Defense is required, and the process must comply with the regulations in Clause 1, Article 84. Land originating from national defense or security purposes will be excluded from the draft resolution.”

Regarding ensuring food security and protecting rice-growing and forest land, according to Mr. Duy, this issue is strictly controlled right from the planning stage, from land use planning to provincial-level land use planning, as well as urban planning. The plans and schemes have determined how much agricultural land will be converted to non-agricultural purposes to implement socio-economic development projects.

Mr. Duy affirmed that whether implemented according to the 2024 Land Law or the pilot mechanism of the resolution, all projects must comply with the planning, and the planning must ensure the stability of 3.5 million hectares of rice land and ensure forest cover.

Source: https://daidoanket.vn/dbqh-ban-khoan-ve-kha-nang-mua-duoc-nha-cua-cong-chuc-10294950.html