A breakthrough in land governance

For years, a paradox has persisted: while businesses struggle to secure land for production, people face difficulties accessing housing, and many infrastructure projects require land to get off the ground, in many areas, allocated land remains unused or is put into use only slowly. Projects are prolonged, public land is wasted, and resources remain trapped in layers of administrative procedures.

Against this backdrop, the Politburo’s Resolution No. 21-NQ/TW on viewpoints and orientations for amending the Land Law and related laws not only sets out requirements for further improving the legal framework on land. More importantly, it marks a fundamental shift in thinking: from managing land primarily through administrative procedures to governing land as a strategic resource, a competitive advantage and a driver of national development.

Resolution No. 21 requires policymakers to address more fundamental questions: Is land being used efficiently? Is it being allocated to the right entities with sufficient capacity? Is it being put into use on schedule? Is it generating value commensurate with its potential? And who should be held accountable when this resource is left idle or underutilized?

For many years, land management has relied largely on dossiers, procedures and the processing of individual agencies. This has resulted in fragmented information, inadequate coordination and, in many cases, responsibilities being divided among so many parties that it becomes difficult to determine who bears ultimate responsibility when land resources are wasted or lost.

Resolution No. 21 takes a different approach. The land information system is to be developed based on the principles of being “accurate, complete, clean, live, unified and shared,” and connected with databases on planning, population, taxation, notarization, finance and other national databases. This will help clarify land-use rights, enhance market transparency and ensure that major decisions can be monitored, verified and traced.

When data is fully updated and interconnected, the State will not only be able to handle land-related procedures more efficiently but also detect early signs of land speculation, delays in putting land into use, losses of public assets, and irregularities in land valuation and allocation.

When institutions are sufficiently transparent, modern and capable of effective implementation, each plot of land is no longer merely an asset. It also becomes a link in the process of generating growth, strengthening competitiveness and realizing the country’s development aspirations in the new era.

Phuong Dong