Step closer to the people, for the people

Since July 1, along with the official implementation of the two-level government model, Lao Cai province residents have begun to clearly feel the changes in handling land procedures. Some important procedures no longer have to go through many intermediary levels as before, but are carried out directly at the People's Committee at the commune level, bringing many conveniences to the people.

“This decentralization not only helps shorten processing time but also creates conditions for local officials to improve their responsibility and serve people more proactively and effectively.”

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Ha - Director of Lao Cai Provincial Land Registration Office

Mr. Duong Trung Dinh's family in village 8, Viet Hong commune has 120 square ^{meters of} cinnamon forest land behind their house, and is currently looking forward to changing the purpose of use. Mr. Dinh shared: "Through the mass media, I learned that since July 1, many administrative procedures related to land have been decentralized to the commune. Therefore, I went to the commune to be guided by the officials to complete the necessary procedures to help my family change the land area as desired."

According to Mr. Dinh, the merger of communes and the implementation of the two-level local government model have helped the government get closer to the people, creating favorable conditions to quickly resolve problems arising from the grassroots. After receiving specific advice from the land officer, Mr. Dinh expressed his satisfaction with the reception and clear procedural guidance.

“We really hope that the two-level government model will improve the efficiency of administrative procedure settlement, especially in the land sector for people in the commune,” Mr. Dinh added.

In order for the new model to operate smoothly from the very beginning, during the preparation for the merger of Yen Bai and Lao Cai provinces, specialized agencies proactively unified procedures, standardized forms, and synchronized land data. 99 specialized staff were assigned to communes and wards in the province to undertake specialized land work.

In localities, the Land Registration Office Branches continue to maintain operations and are authorized to sign and issue Land Use Right Certificates. Along with that, the electronic administrative system integrated on the I-Gate platform is put into use, supporting the reception and processing of documents online, helping to be public, transparent and limit overlaps and congestion in processing procedures.

However, not all localities have good infrastructure conditions to meet the requirements for immediate implementation. In some remote communes, weak Internet connection, lack of specialized equipment, and incomplete cadastral data are practical difficulties.

Realizing this, Lao Cai province has established two specialized working groups, each headed by a Deputy Director of the Provincial Land Registration Office, including officials with in-depth experience in information technology and land operations. This working group not only provides on-site technical support but also directly guides commune officials in using management software, operating the system and ensuring connectivity with the provincial level.

An important factor in improving the effectiveness of administrative reform is the timely and complete announcement of new administrative procedures in the land sector. According to Mr. Tran Minh Sang - Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Lao Cai province, from April to June 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment issued two important decisions (No. 579 and 2304) announcing the entire list of new administrative procedures.

On that basis, the province has compiled and published a list of 46 administrative procedures in the land sector, of which 14 procedures are decentralized to the People's Committees of communes. The list and detailed instructions for each procedure have been publicly posted on the National Public Service Portal and the province's electronic one-stop system, making it easy for people to look up and implement.

Bringing land procedures to the commune level is not only a step forward in administrative reform, but also demonstrates the spirit of serving the people and for the people of local authorities. When people can solve their problems right where they live, their trust in the government apparatus is also strengthened.

Mr. Vu Ngoc Thanh in Bac Ha 1 residential group, Bac Ha commune said: "The simpler, clearer and more transparent things are, the more people will agree. This new way of doing things is very popular."

If effectively maintained and infrastructure and staff skills are gradually improved, the model of handling land procedures at the commune level will not only be a temporary solution after the merger, but also a long-term orientation in building a service-oriented, people-friendly, and professional administration.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has just launched a Handbook on State management in the field of land when implementing two-level local government. The handbook guides the 16-step sequence and procedures of the land acquisition, compensation, support and resettlement process. The process includes from developing a land acquisition plan, organizing meetings with people, issuing notices, counting assets, making and approving compensation plans to implementing compensation and handing over land. The time to handle procedures for first-time land registration is no more than 17 working days; for land registration with issuance of Certificates is no more than 20 days. For mountainous areas, islands, remote areas or areas with especially difficult socio-economic conditions, the time is extended to a maximum of 30 working days.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/buoc-tien-gan-dan-vi-dan-post649074.html