Removing land acquisition obstacles for projects serving APEC 2027.

By going directly to each household and listening to their specific stories, the campaign to persuade people to hand over land in the Phu Quoc special economic zone (An Giang province) is shifting from administrative to persuasive, from command to consensus.

Get closer to the people to build consensus.

The achievements in land clearance for projects serving the APEC 2027 Summit did not begin with administrative documents, but with meetings between officials and the people.

The image of Le Quoc Anh, Secretary of the Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone Party Committee, and Tran Minh Khoa, Chairman of the Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone People's Committee, along with officials from the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department, the Fatherland Front of the special economic zone, and the entire political system, persistently "going door to door" at hotspots such as Provincial Road 975 or the An Thoi resettlement area, has become familiar.

There are no fixed hours, no rigid workspaces; discussions sometimes take place in people's homes or cafes, lasting for hours until the work is completed. The motto of being close to the people is no longer just a slogan but is concretized through action, through the sincere listening and understanding of the Party committee and the government of the special zone.

Chairman of the People's Committee of Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone, Tran Minh Khoa, along with leaders and officials from the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department and the Fatherland Front of the special economic zone , mobilized residents to hand over land for the construction of projects in the southern part of Phu Quoc Island to serve APEC 2027.

Mr. Huynh Van Dinh, Head of the Agriculture and Environment Department of Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone, said: “Through active campaigning and the decisive participation of the entire political system, the propaganda and mobilization efforts to hand over the land on time have yielded very clear results. The people have shown high levels of consensus. However, people still have concerns about prices and policies. We are ready to receive, study, and resolve these issues fairly and reasonably. We hope that these projects serving the country will bring about a new urban landscape for the people to benefit from.”

Through these meetings, local officials not only explain policies but also record specific aspirations. Mr. Phan Chien Thang, Head of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department of the Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone, said: “To meet with the people, we have to go before they go to work and leave after they finish. Some conversations last until 9 or 10 p.m. Only when the people have expressed everything do the knots in their hearts gradually untangle. We don't go to force them, but to find common ground.”

It was this persistence that brought about substantial change. Those who were initially hesitant gradually agreed after repeated interactions. Mr. Nguyen Trong Binh, a resident of the Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone (formerly An Thoi ward), confided: “When we saw the leaders come down to listen and analyze the development opportunities, we felt reassured and were ready to hand over our land.”

Empathetic policies help remove bottlenecks.

Alongside the mobilization efforts, other solutions were also implemented synchronously. The People's Committee of An Giang province issued Directive No. 07/CT-UBND dated March 10, 2026, requiring the highest concentration of resources on land clearance for APEC projects, tightening administrative discipline, enhancing the responsibility of heads of departments, and limiting the back-and-forth transfer of documents.

Chairman of the People's Committee of Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone, Tran Minh Khoa, along with leaders and officials from the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department and the Fatherland Front of the special economic zone, mobilized residents to hand over land for the construction of projects in the southern part of Phu Quoc Island to serve APEC 2027.

The entire province has established 15 surveying and counting teams; and simultaneously strengthened 2 special task forces to directly handle issues arising on-site. For the 16 projects serving APEC, the total planned area is approximately 1,050.5 hectares, of which about 912.2 hectares need to be acquired, affecting more than 3,972 households. Notably, it is expected that 2,906 households will be eligible for resettlement before land acquisition, ensuring compliance with legal regulations.

However, the implementation still faces many difficulties. Some projects are behind schedule due to obstacles in surveying, counting, and determining land ownership; there are still cases of absent owners, lack of cooperation, or disputes arising. In light of this situation, the Provincial People's Committee requests regular and ad hoc meetings to focus on resolving bottlenecks and resolutely handle cases of deliberate procrastination.

In this context, propaganda and mobilization efforts continue to play a crucial role in creating consensus among the people. Mr. Tran The Hung, a resident of the Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone, said: “Officials don’t just talk with dry numbers. Their sincerity, like a slow but steady rain, has won my agreement. I moved not because of the compensation money, but for the future of the Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone.”

Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Ha, a resident of Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone, said: "The Chairman of the People's Committee of Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone met with me and explained things very thoroughly, showing concern for the rights of the people, creating consensus in me." Ms. Ngo Dinh Le Thuy, also a resident of Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone, said that even though she lives far away, when she heard that the leaders were coming to meet with the people, she still came and received clear explanations, thus feeling reassured while waiting to receive compensation.

Land clearance is not just a technical or legal problem, but a problem of trust. When people are listened to, their concerns are shared, and their rights are thoroughly addressed according to the law, consensus will become the greatest driving force to accelerate the progress of key projects.

Text and photos: TAY HO

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/go-nut-that-mat-bang-du-an-phuc-vu-apec-2027-a484070.html