These days, localities nationwide are building land databases, a key task in administrative reform and national digital transformation.

Hanoi has launched a “90-day land data cleaning” campaign (from September 1 to November 30). All land parcels in the city will be reviewed, standardized, and assigned unified identification codes, ensuring alignment with population, household, and asset information. However, this activity has triggered opposing views.

Cao Van D, a resident of Phu Dien ward, Hanoi, shared that neighborhood loudspeakers have been repeatedly announcing the requirement to submit photocopies of land titles and ID cards.

He explained to local officials that his land title is currently mortgaged at a bank, so he could not make a photocopy. However, his explanation was rejected.

He added that since land and personal information are already stored in the government’s databases, requiring people to resubmit photocopies, especially when documents are pledged, is unreasonable.

Many other residents have reported similar experiences. Some submitted the requested documents but were not given any confirmation receipts, raising concerns about data privacy and responsibility.

Phuong Linh from Hoang Liet ward commented that in the digital age, requiring people to follow manual, unsafe methods like photocopies is inappropriate.

“To collect data, officials need to visit households to record actual usage area because many cases show certificates do not match reality. If only requiring people to submit photocopies and re-enter old data, it just wastes time without achieving accuracy,” Linh said.

Nguyen Thuong Lang, Associate Professor at the National Economics University, commented that the practice of requesting citizens to photocopy and submit land titles and ID cards is unnecessary and inconvenient.

“The goal of cleaning up data is valid, but some localities are implementing it incorrectly. It’s the state that issued these land titles, and now asking people to copy and resubmit them is illogical,” Lang said.

He noted that mobilizing the entire population to copy and submit paperwork within a few days is not only costly and time-consuming, but also contrary to the government’s goal of administrative simplification and better service delivery.

Furthermore, many people no longer hold the original land title due to mortgages, or may have even lost it. Forcing them to submit photocopies in such cases can create unnecessary complications and hinder civil transactions.

What does the watchdog agency say?

Mai Van Phan, Deputy Director of the Land Management Bureau under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), said the “90-day land data cleaning” campaign is being implemented nationwide to build a national land database that is “accurate - complete - clean - live - unified - shared.” This is the foundation for state management and public service provision to people and businesses.

According to Phan, over many years, land user information formed across different periods, and was tied to identity documents like ID cards and citizen IDs. With changes in legal regulations, storage technology,and management methods, land data in some places lacks uniformity and even contains discrepancies.

“There are cases where people transferred, gifted, inherited, or transacted land via handwritten papers without completing legal procedures; or changed land use purposes but failed to update management records. This causes mismatches between land data and user information, requiring review and supplementation,” Phan explained.

With the requirement to complete the national land database before 2026, this campaign is identified as a key step to standardize information, ensuring data is complete, accurate, and shareable among state agencies.

According to the Land Management Bureau representative, implementing this task requires coordination from the entire political system, especially from land users, those who best know the actual status and legal documents of their parcels. 

Citizen cooperation in providing and verifying information will speed up comparison, cleaning, and data updates, supporting transparent management and reducing future administrative procedures.

Simultaneously, localities should continue building data for other land types, ensuring the full national land database is completed by 2026 as planned.

Phan said some localities are performing two tasks at once - serving the “90-day land data cleaning” campaign while expanding data collection for other land types, to avoid rework later.

“Not all localities apply the same method. Implementation can be flexible depending on local conditions, as long as the final goal of ‘cleaning’ land data, i.e., fully and accurately supplementing land-use rights into the system, is achieved,” Phan said.

Vu Diep