VietNamNet Bridge – The National Assembly Standing Committee yesterday, April 17, discussed in detail revisions to the country's Land Law, after receiving feedback from nearly seven million voters and organisations.

Construction of the Nam An Khanh new urban project in Hoai Duc District has been halted due to a lack of capital. Many projects have left swathes of land deserted, wasting valuable plots which could otherwise have been used for farming.
 

Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Nguyen Minh Quang commented that many of the public were angry about the lack of clarity in land clearing regulations. He called for more detailed guidance when land is being revoked, especially if it is for the purposes of national defence or socio-economic development projects.

Chairman of the NA's Law Committee Phan Trung Ly agreed, and said that while land must be revoked to make way for developments that will benefit the country and its people, it should not be cleared if it will only aid private projects benefiting a select few.

Chairman of the NA's Economics Committee Nguyen Van Giau said land would continue to be revoked to make way for key national projects approved by the National Assembly, as agreed by the Prime Minister. Developments in the areas of industry, export processing and high-technology are particularly prioritised for land.

Land clearances for new urban areas, resettlement and student housing and Official Development Assistance projects can all be listed as acceptable, he confirmed.

Chairman of the NA's Finance and State Budget Committee Phung Quoc Hien said there should be a stronger legal mechanism in place to ensure that these socio-economic development projects are beneficial to the nation. He warned however that enterprises should not be punished for benefiting from projects, as their investments are crucial to Viet Nam's growth.

Regarding the much criticised land compensation laws, Ly said the legal processes and compensation mechanisms for different types of land project clearances should be fair and clear.
Deputy chairman Huynh Ngoc Son agreed and said that the process must be different for land revoked in emergency cases to aid national defence.

The NA's Economics Committee suggested that when the investors and land users fail to reach an agreement on compensation prices, an independent land price consultancy should step in to set the sum.

Local authorities will also participate in the settlement of compensation prices to ensure that both local people and investors benefit and projects go ahead without delay.

Another item discusses was that of land-use rights. More than 800,000 people said that local people's committees should be granted full authority in deciding how best to utilise local land without requiring the Prime Minister's approval.

Minister Quang said transfers of land-use have not been implemented strictly and legally in many locations, and many projects have left swathes of land deserted, wasting valuable plots which could be used for farming.

Chairman of the NA's Science, Technology and Environment Committee Phan Xuan Dung said land use rights should be made more specific to make people understand the law and avoid violations.

President of the NA's Ethnic Council Ksor Phuoc argued that ethnic people often lack basic land-use rights while they are in desperate need of arable lands due to shifting cultivation.

The standing committee agreed to look into this matter further.

Quang confirmed that the drafting board would continue collecting the opinions of the public and experts in regards to the new draft of the law before submitting it to the National Assembly next month.

Source: VNS