Faster issuance of land titles

A homeowner pays land and housing taxes in Ha Noi's Dong Da District. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is targeing that all outstanding land use rights and house ownership certificates be granted by local authorities by the end of next year. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Tu

HA NOI — The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is calling for the issuance of land use rights and home ownership certificates to be sped up nationwide and the process of granting certificates to be completed by next year.

According to the department's report, by the end of June this year, more than 35.85 million certificates had been granted for a total of nearly 20.5 million ha, still below the expected figures.

The percentage of land area granted a certificate ranged from nearly 63 per cent to more than 87 per cent. The land's purpose varied from agriculture and forestry to aquaculture, and also included both rural and urban land and as well as land for special and religious purposes.

Deputy director of the General Department of Land Administration Le Van Lich said that the granting of land certificates had been progressing slowly despite the passing of the Government-issued Decree 88, which was intended to streamline it, in 2009.

Most provinces through out the country had not finished granting land certificates, he said, pointing out that Lai Chau, Phu Yen, Ninh Thuan and Gia Lai provinces were among those achieving the lowest percentages of land area granted.