Facilitating access to land, maintaining land-use stability, flexibly applying compensation policies on site clearance; accelerating administrative procedure reform; and providing maximum support for enterprises are key tasks of the natural resources and environment sector of Lao Cai province in the coming period. Vietnam Business Forum has an interview with Mr. Ho Cao Khai, Director of Department of Lao Cai Natural Resources and Environment. Duy Binh reports.

In 2021, Lao Cai province has striven to bring the PCI Index to over 72 points, to stand among the good performers in the country. The Component Index - Access to Land - is expected to reach 7.3 points or higher. To accomplish this goal, what solutions will the Department of Natural Resources and Environment focus on?

To maintain and raise the Access to Land Index and help improve the overall Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) of Lao Cai province, in the coming time, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment will focus firmly on the following specific solutions:

Regarding the issuance of land use right certificates (LURCs): Reviewing the Land Law, circulars and instructive documents of the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee and seeking authorization to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to issue LURCs and house ownership right certificates to organizations, religious facilities, overseas Vietnamese, foreign-invested companies carrying out investment projects and foreign diplomatic agencies after being approved of LURCs by the Provincial People’s Committee.

The authorization will reduce the procedures and the time of issuing LURCs for organizations from 14 to 10 working days. If the Provincial People's Committee authorizes the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to sign LURCs, it will reduce the time of handling administrative procedures for organizations and enterprises by about 20% as compared to the time limit (Clause 1, Article 105 of the Land Law 2013)

Actively informing, guiding and supporting enterprises to use online public services on the Public Service Portal and using the service of receiving records and returning results of administrative settlement via public post.

Collaborating with the Department of Information and Communications, the Department of Taxation and VNPT Lao Cai to transfer financial documents on the electronic single-window software (VNPT - Igate) and carry out online payment on the National Public Service Portal from June 1, 2021 to create favorable conditions for businesses and speed up the time to fulfill their financial obligations for LURCs granted to enterprises.

Regarding site clearance and early handover of the site to licensed projects: The Department of Natural Resources and Environment has actively coordinated with relevant agencies and local authorities to review regulations on land compensation under the authority of the Provincial People's Committee to advise the latter to amend and supplement regulations to match local conditions, facilitate implementation process, and ensure the legitimate rights and interests of people whose land is taken.

The department has kept reviewing and advising the Provincial People's Committee to reform administrative procedures, accelerate decentralization of powers to local authorities for them to take more active actions concerning land compensation and site clearance.

The department has actively and closely worked with local governments to solve problems in land clearance, increase officials in charge of recovering land, pricing land, and promulgating documents directing local governments to carry out site clearance in line with the law and local conditions.

To strengthen State administration of mineral resources and environmental protection, what measures has the sector taken to match local conditions?

To effectively and consistently manage natural resources and environment, the department has actively advised the Provincial People’s Council and the Provincial People’s Committee to issue instructive documents in line with the law and local situations.

By the end of 2020, LURCs in the province reached 90% of the applicable area (including certificates for overall projects), reaching 100% of the plan.

Additionally, regarding land allocation, land lease, land revocation and land repurposing, in 2020, the department consulted the Provincial People's Committee to allocate land to 10 organizations, fulfilling 200% of the plan. The department granted land lease certificates to 53 organizations, reaching 132% of the plan; reclaimed land from 57 organizations, fulfilling 356% of the plan; and changed the land-use purpose for 11 organizations, or 91.7% of the plan.

Environmental protection is always a top concern of the natural resources and environment sector. The department regularly inspects compliance with land regulations and monitors pollution at factories and enterprises in the province. It also strictly appraises and approves environmental impact assessment (EIA) reports.

The department also conducts inspections, receives people, settles complaints and denunciations, and reforms administrative procedures. It has very positive results in these effects.

Could you please tell us about commitments of the natural resources and environment sector to boosting the investment environment and business support?

The Lao Cai Department of Natural Resources and Environment is determined to achieve following key objectives and tasks: Facilitating access to land, maintaining land-use stability, flexibly applying compensation policies on site clearance; accelerating administrative procedure reform; and providing maximum support for enterprises. Therefore, the following issues must continue to be well implemented:

First, speeding up administrative procedure reform, carrying out measures to inspect and supervise single-window services, and improving the land policy mechanism in line with the law.

Second, strengthening information about land policies and laws to the masses; assessing public satisfaction with services delivered by State agencies; advising the Provincial People's Committee to issue regulations on land management within its jurisdiction.

Third, further strengthening the organizational structure of the natural resources and environment sector; bringing commune-level cadastral officials to district-level bodies on a pilot basis - this is an important content in Project No. 10 of the Lao Cai Provincial Party Committee.

Fourth, adjusting land-use planning, planning annual land use at the district level; publicizing master plans on land use at all levels to enhance transparency

Fifth, fostering information technology application to land management at the department’s units.

Sixth, compiling regulations on coordination of all levels and sectors in business support to carry out land clearance; maintaining and improving operations of the Lao Cai Land Pricing Council to promptly advise the Provincial People's Committee to remove difficulties and obstacles, perfecting land pricing mechanisms and policies to serve land allocation, land lease, land compensation, site clearance, land auction.

Finally, further opening conferences, seminars and dialogues with people and businesses, actively grasping difficulties relating to land management and use faced by people and businesses.

Thank you very much!