New procedures on granting a single document covering both land-use rights as well as house ownership are proving difficult to implement, according to a report prepared by HCM City’s National Assembly deputies.
The report, released early this month, says HCM City will adjust its procedures for granting land use rights certificates as well as titles to houses and other land-related assets to reduce difficulties for city residents and speed up the process.
Towards this, the municipal People’s Committee has asked relevant branches, industries and agencies to review current regulations and submit amendment proposals before September 15.
According to the report, the Government’s policy to issue one certificate that covers both land use rights and ownership of houses has been heartily welcomed by local residents.
However, the city’s implementation of the policy was facing many obstacles, mainly arising from complicated procedures and requirements that considerably slowed down the process to grant certificates.
The report says that the city has to date granted over 1 million certificates since the government’s one certificate policy took effect in December 10 last year.
However it would be difficult for it to meet the year-end target set by the National Assembly, for which more than 370,000 certificates would have to be granted in less than four months, it adds.
Under current regulations of the municipal People’s Committee, housing projects that do not have infrastructure system acceptance certificates would not be granted ownership documents.
This stipulation has made it impossible for many households in the city to obtain legal title to their assets including land and land-related assets.
However, this rule was not included in the central Government’s current policy on granting ownership certificates, the report notes.
The National Assembly delegates also mention in the report that the current process of applying for house ownership and residential land use right certificate was convoluted and time-consuming.
According to current regulations, an applicant for a house ownership and residential land use right certificate should submit a valid dossier to the provincial, or municipal-level Natural Resources and Environment Department. The latter will scan the application and forward the dossier to the district level People’s Committee where the house is located.
After receiving the dossier, the district-level People’s Committee fills in the house ownership and residential land use right certificate under the housing law, checks it for conformity with relevant laws, and returns it to the provincial, or municipal-level natural resources department to be handed over to the house owner.
The old process was much more simple since the applicant only had to submit a valid dossier to the district-level People’s Committee, and would also receive the certificate from the district administration itself, the report said.
Another regulation that requires a new ownership certificate whenever there is a change in house ownership is also costing residents considerable time and effort that was not necessary, the report remarks.
Earlier, the new owner’s name was added to the existing title certificate, for which space was provided in the document. It was only when there was no further space (after about seven title transfers) that a new certificate was issued.
The National Assembly deputies have called for changes in unnecessary and cumbersome procedures so that the process of granting and transferring title documents is made easy for both residents and officials./.
