VietNamNet Bridge –A recent study of the World Bank (WB) showed that corruption in connection with land-related issues in Vietnam is the second most critical after traffic police.

The Land Transparency Study, which was announced in Hanoi City last week, found that land management ranked second in the list of sectors with major corruption concerns, followed by construction, customs, health, taxation, traffic, mineral management, planning and investment, education, economic police, banking, court and finance.

Speaking at the announcement of the report, the WB’s governance expert Tran Thi Lan Huong said darkness takes a bigger part of land information disclosure on websites in Vietnam.

Can Tho City ranked first in Vietnam for providing comprehensive, easily accessible land-related information through its website, followed by Hanoi, Ben Tre, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Binh Thuan, Quang Nam, Tra Vinh, Thanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Long An and Quang Binh.

Meanwhile, the central province of Thanh Hoa led in offering land-related information on the spot, followed by Quang Tri, Phu Yen, Soc Trang, Ben Tre, Ninh Binh, Phu Tho, Binh Thuan, Kien Giang, Tay Ninh, Binh Dinh, Lai Chau and Nghe An.

Victoria Kwakwa, WB’s country director for Vietnam, said enhancing transparency in land management is vital to more efficient and sustainable use of Vietnam’s land resources.

Despite some improvements, the pace of change lags behind the modest transparency provisions in existing laws. In many places, officials have failed to provide the information as required by relevant regulations.

Therefore, the study is a suggestion for Vietnam to institutionalize the public right to access information under law, making full access the norm and requiring exceptions to be listed, she said.

A group of experts from the WB and the Development and Policies Research Centre conducted the study between late 2013 and early 2014 in the country’s 63 provinces and cities.

The study also recommended improving localities’ disclosure practices. Separate reports have been given to localities to help local authorities better understand about regulations on land information disclosure and what they should do to improve the situation.

The Land Transparency Study is part of the Vietnam Transparency Project funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and implemented by the WB.

Jim Carpy, head of DFID in Vietnam, said it was expected that the practical recommendations in the report will support both central and local agencies to enhance public access to information on land management.

Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Nguyen Manh Hien said the study would be a source of reference for land management agencies to improve land information disclosure in Vietnam.    

SGT/VNN