Land management violations "hot" again at the beginning of the year

The land fund creation project in Nha Be district is more than 20 years behind schedule and has been repeatedly whistled by the HCMC Inspectorate. Photo: H.Phuc.

In the inspection of the responsibility of the Chairman of the People's Committee of Binh Thanh District, announced in early February 2024, the Ho Chi Minh City Inspectorate determined that the locality was slow to advise and coordinate with the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (TNMT) of the city in managing and signing land lease contracts for 10/13 real estate properties located within the road boundary (already auctioned) and allowing some individuals to use them, which is not in accordance with regulations. In particular, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Binh Thanh District is responsible for loosening the process of advising on the issuance of certificates of land use rights, house ownership rights and other assets attached to land for 4 cases of self-construction on vacant land within the premises of houses and land owned by the State.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy - Deputy Chief Inspector of Ho Chi Minh City, the inspection conclusion clearly shows that the policy of Binh Thanh district when handing over a large area of land (37,835m2 in Ward 12, Binh Thanh district) to the Sports Center to manage, use, and invest in the construction project of the Binh Thanh District Sports Center is not in accordance with regulations. Moreover, the Urban Management Department of Binh Thanh district is also responsible for advising on the issuance of 108 construction permits, renovation and repair permits, and adjustment certificates that are not in accordance with regulations. There are even signs of lax management so that subjects performing construction permit issuance procedures when preparing construction quality inspection records, basement construction method records, basement construction method appraisal records, but in reality do not perform professional activities according to regulations but only stamp confirmation, potentially affecting the quality of the works and the rights of the people...

The inspection conclusion dated February 1, 2024 of the Ho Chi Minh City Inspectorate determined that the work of reviewing houses and land in Binh Thanh District is still slow (94/197 house and land addresses have been carried out) and has not ensured progress as required by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee. The delay in proposing a plan to handle houses and land has left many vacant houses and land locations, showing signs of waste in the use of public houses and land. At the same time, the work of organizing the auction of assets and signing contracts for the sale and purchase of some public houses and land has not strictly complied with the Prime Minister 's direction on temporarily suspending the sale of assets on land and transferring land use rights.

Not only in Binh Thanh district, the implementation of legal regulations on anti-corruption and negativity; the management and use of state-managed real estate at Nha Be District People's Committee were also determined by the Ho Chi Minh City Inspectorate to have many shortcomings and violations of regulations. Specifically, the inspection conclusion notice signed by Deputy Chief Inspector of Ho Chi Minh City Pham Van Nghi on February 1, 2024 also pointed out many shortcomings in the management and use of premises, houses and land managed by the state in Nha Be district up to the time of inspection. At the land plot at 189 Nguyen Van Tao (Long Thoi commune) managed by Nha Be District Vocational Training Center (TTDN), although the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee approved the policy for the district TTDN to cooperate with Thanh Cong private TTDN in the field of vocational training, both units signed the cooperation contract but have not sent the cooperation plan to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Finance for appraisal and submission to the City People's Committee for approval. This is contrary to the provisions of Circular 23/2016 dated February 16, 2016 of the Ministry of Finance . In addition, for another large land plot (23,266m2 in Nhon Duc commune), although the People's Committee of Nha Be district allowed Dong Mekong Company to temporarily use it (from January 18, 2016 to January 11, 2019), they did not ask for opinions, did not comply with the direction of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City and did not require Dong Mekong Company to return the land plot when the temporary use period (36 months) expired.

According to the representative of the Ho Chi Minh City Inspectorate, the management, use and leasing of houses and land owned by the State at Nha Be District Public Service Company Limited in leasing a large land plot (229,978m2 in Hiep Phuoc Commune) until June 2023 is not in accordance with the direction of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee. At the same time, the delay in reporting by the Nha Be District People's Committee according to the opinion of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Finance has also affected the progress of transferring 6 house and land addresses managed and kept by the Public Service Company to the Housing Management Center and agencies under the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction.

With many shortcomings and problems, the Ho Chi Minh City Inspectorate recommended handling of related individuals and groups and was approved by the Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to assign the Chairman of the Nha Be District People's Committee to seriously and fully implement anti-corruption solutions according to the provisions of the Law on Anti-Corruption. In particular, rectify the public posting of information on bidding in asset procurement in accordance with legal regulations; direct relevant departments and offices to thoroughly implement the instructions for 6 cases of non-declaration of assets. At the same time, direct the inspection and addition of accountability content to the working regulations of the District People's Committee and its affiliated units.

Previously, a number of individuals and groups of Thu Duc City were also criticized and directed to be handled when a number of state-managed land plots had not been approved by the Thu Duc City People's Committee for handling; land under direct state management (vacant land, surplus land after compensation and clearance of projects) had not been declared or established for state management...

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