The two decisions have slashed land-allocation time to two weeks, offering a "survival chance" for 838 projects worth VND206 trillion to hit the 2026 finish mark.

Hoang Quan Real Estate Company has 20 housing projects that have completed construction in HCMC and other provinces but have remained stuck in legal procedures. Additionally, 30 other ongoing projects are in a similar situation, with some having faced legal entanglements for five years without final resolution, according to the company chair Truong Anh Tuan.

Nguyen Nam Phuong, general director of Lan Anh Co, Ltd., has four investment projects stuck for many years. The enterprise has fallen into financial distress, having to borrow from banks due to the slow processing by State agencies.

The Lan Anh 12 project (in the former Phu My Town, Ba Ria-Vung Tau) is one of them. It was included in the province's housing development program and reported to the Ministry of Construction. The province submitted the local master plan to the Government for approval, confirming the land's suitability for the plan.

However, according to Phuong, the Phu My Town People's Committee later adjusted the planning, converting the project land into a "buffer green space," which is no longer consistent with the original orientation.

The company representative requested that the HCMC government, during its general planning adjustment, update data and return the land the company applied for according to the plan previously approved by the Prime Minister. Furthermore, the city's upcoming planning process must be public, transparent, and clearly communicated to affected landowners.

According to statistics, HCMC currently has 838 works, projects, and land plots under review for bottleneck resolution. The total investment of these projects exceeds VND206 trillion, covering over 17,000 hectares.

Among them, 417 projects have fully resolved their issues, 393 projects have basically completed the process, while 28 projects and land lots have received guidance and are undergoing resolution procedures.

A surprise to enterprises

Despite remaining difficulties, businesses have acknowledged positive and proactive changes from HCMC authorities.

Nguyen Van Doi, general director of Sai Gon 9 Construction and Trading, said the company had two projects cleared of obstacles at the beginning of 2026 after a long waiting period. Previously, obtaining a land allocation decision was extremely difficult, but now the signing process takes only about two weeks.

“I was very surprised by the city’s changes in administrative reform,” he said.

From the perspective of real estate businesses, Doi advised companies to “knock on the right doors” to seek support. Planning issues should be addressed with the Department of Planning and Architecture; tax issues with HCMC Tax Department; and land-related matters with the Department of Agriculture and Environment. Doing so would help resolve problems more quickly.

Businesses believe the current improvements reflect momentum spreading from the central government to local authorities.

On April 24, the National Assembly passed Resolution 29/2026/QH16 on special mechanisms and policies to handle land-related legal violations committed before the 2024 Land Law took effect, while also removing obstacles for delayed and stalled projects.

On May 7, the Government issued Decree 147 guiding the implementation of these special mechanisms and policies under Resolution 29.

“I cried when I read the resolution and decree. The State’s major orientation and determination will give businesses a chance to recover, survive, develop and contribute to socio-economic growth,” Truong Anh Tuan said.

He proposed that the city accelerate the digitization of land databases and administrative procedures so processing timelines become clearer, while also providing specific contact points for handling real estate-related issues so businesses can seek assistance.

Le Thi Thu Hong, deputy head of the External Economic Relations Division under the HCMC Department of Finance, said that the city’s People’s Committee had instructed agencies to review all problematic projects in the city and prioritize resolving those under local authority within 2026.

Beyond the 838 projects, works and land lots currently under review, businesses with other problematic projects were encouraged to submit official proposals so competent authorities could resolve them completely.

Hong added that for projects facing prolonged difficulties without a clearly designated lead agency, businesses could petition inspection agencies or other competent authorities to review and clarify responsibilities in accordance with regulations.

Tran Chung