Land procedures: Delegating more power to commune level, making it more convenient for people and businesses

BAC NINH - From July 1, the local government organization model officially changed to two levels, eliminating the district level. This systematic change entailed many adjustments in administrative procedure settlement, especially in the land sector. The first days of implementation in Bac Ninh province showed positive signs: simplified procedures, clearly decentralized authority, and people had more convenient access to public services.

Commune level "shoulders" more work

According to information from the Land Management Department (Department of Agriculture and Environment of the province), in the spirit of promoting decentralization and delegation of power, Decree No. 151/2025/ND-CP dated June 12, 2025 of the Government, effective from July 1, 2025 (regulations on the division of authority of two-level local governments, decentralization and delegation in the land sector) has clearly stipulated the division of authority between two-level local governments (province and commune) in the land sector. Accordingly, many administrative procedures previously under the authority of the district level have now been assigned directly to the People's Committee or the Chairman of the People's Committee at the commune level.

Officers of the Inter-ward and Commune Land Registration Office Branch of Bac Giang check citizens' land records.

Most notable is the decentralization of authority to issue land use right certificates. This change not only shortens the process, significantly reduces the number of steps, but also saves time for people and businesses. Specifically, previously, to be granted a land use right certificate for the first time, people had to work through two levels: commune and district. The application was submitted to the district-level one-stop shop, or submitted at the commune, but commune officials still had to transfer it to the district for processing.

From July 1, 2025, this entire process will be assigned to the commune level, people only need to submit the application once at the locality where the land is located and this is also the agency that directly handles and approves the application. In addition, instead of only playing an intermediary role as before (verifying the origin, time of land use, dispute status, planning...), the commune level is now the place that makes the final decision in granting the certificate.

In particular, the authority to sign and issue certificates has also changed significantly. Previously, the authority to issue certificates to domestic individuals, Vietnamese people residing abroad who are Vietnamese citizens and residential communities belonged to the district-level People's Committee (collective), but now according to Article 5 of Decree 151, it is clearly defined for the individual chairman of the commune-level People's Committee.

Putting the rules into practice

On July 4, at the Viet Yen Ward Public Administration Service Center, the settlement of administrative procedures for citizens took place normally. Comrade Than Thi Lanh, Deputy Director of the Center, said: “In the first days of implementing the new model, there were days when the Center received nearly 200 files, many of which were land files. To ensure that the files were processed according to regulations, the leaders of the Ward People's Committee arranged enough staff with professional capacity, invested in facilities and clearly assigned tasks to each department to handle the work smoothly, without any congestion. The implementation process prioritized the processing of files received before July 1.”

In Bac Giang ward, one of the central wards of the province, in the first days of operating the new model, the number of people coming to submit their applications was very large. In order to create favorable conditions for the people, the ward People's Committee proactively arranged more cadres and youth union members to guide and support citizens at the Public Administration Service Center (as for youth union members, each day there are 4 people divided into 2 shifts, morning and afternoon)... This timely support contributed to reducing pressure on professional staff.

Mr. Hoang Hai Lam, Director of Bac Ninh Land Registration Office No. 1, said: To meet the needs of people and businesses, the Office has directed 10 branches of inter-ward and commune land registration offices to send staff to directly receive documents and handle procedures at 11 locations. Of which, in Bac Giang ward, the locations are at 2 locations: the People's Committees of Ngo Quyen and Dinh Ke wards (old); in Luc Ngan district (old), the locations are at the People's Committee of Phi Dien commune (old); the remaining 8 locations are at public administrative service centers in the former districts and towns.

Not only strongly decentralizing, in Clause 1, Article 18 of Decree 151/2025/ND-CP of the Government, there is also a "non-administrative boundary" mechanism in submitting land procedure dossiers. Accordingly, when the software system for handling administrative procedures on land is synchronized and connected, people can submit dossiers at any commune or ward People's Committee in the same province or at the provincial land registration office branch without having to return to the locality where the land is located.

Mr. Duong Vinh Anh, a permanent resident of Viet Yen ward, has a plot of land in Lai village, Nghia Trung commune (old), and came to the Viet Yen ward Public Administration Service Center to complete the procedures for the first land use right certificate. Here, he was enthusiastically supported by the one-stop-shop staff, provided with a cadastral map and determined the location of the plot of land on the spot. He excitedly shared: "I find it convenient and time-saving to handle land procedures according to the new regulations."

System synchronization, smooth operation

According to the assessment of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, the implementation of the two-level government model and administrative reforms on land in the early days was basically uninterrupted. The Department proactively directed the reception and return of results department at the Public Administration Service Center to continue to maintain the reception of simple procedures, while speeding up the consultation on the development of internal procedures and a new set of administrative procedures on land. However, because the two provinces used different administrative procedure handling software and databases before the merger, the configuration and synchronization process still encountered difficulties.

At some point, the software did not operate smoothly, affecting the progress of receiving documents. In addition, the difference in the legal document system of the two old Bac Giang - Bac Ninh provinces (such as regulations on land recognition limits, land division limits...) also caused difficulties when applied in practice.

Currently, the Department of Agriculture and Environment is proposing that the Provincial People's Committee temporarily continue to apply the previous legal regulations to avoid disruptions in handling administrative procedures for people. At the same time, coordinate with the Department of Science and Technology to urgently complete the shared software, upgrade transmission lines, fix operational errors, and ensure the system operates smoothly. The Department proposes to improve the organization of the Land Registration Office, increase human resources for communes and wards with a large number of records, and request communes and wards to step up propaganda on the loudspeaker system so that people can clearly grasp the new regulations and not be surprised when carrying out land procedures under the new administrative model.

Thuy Ninh

Source: https://baobacninhtv.vn/thuc-hien-thu-tuc-ve-dat-dai-giao-them-quyen-cho-cap-xa-thuan-loi-hon-cho-nguoi-dan-doanh-nghiep-postid421411.bbg