At the seminar, delegates pointed out many difficulties and obstacles in the process of implementing regulations on multi-purpose land use.
The 2024 Land Law (effective from August 1, 2024) for the first time stipulates a multi-purpose land use mechanism, opening up a legal corridor for many development models such as agriculture associated with tourism, forestry combined with medicinal plant cultivation, production associated with experience, education and services.
Assessing this policy, Mr. Dao Duc Kien - Vice Chairman of Da Bac Commune People's Committee (Phu Tho) - said that the 2024 Land Law for the first time allowing the use of land combined with multi-purpose is an important step towards effectively exploiting land resources. However, when implemented, local authorities are facing many pressures in appraisal, management and supervision.
According to Mr. Kien, the biggest difficulty is determining the boundary between using land for multiple purposes and using land for wrong purposes. The regulation requires not to change the type of land, and at the same time must ensure that the land can be returned to its main purpose of use but is still qualitative, causing appraisal agencies to have difficulty in determining the scale of works allowed to be built.
From that reality, Mr. Kien proposed to soon amend and supplement Article 218 of the Land Law in the direction of clarifying the concept of land use for multiple purposes, specifying for each type of land and issuing unified guidelines on appraisal criteria, financial obligations, and approval procedures. At the same time, it is necessary to accelerate the construction of land databases, apply digital technology and strengthen training for grassroots-level officials so that policies can be implemented effectively, limiting the abuse of land for multiple purposes to violate the law.
From a business perspective, Mr. Nguyen Quoc Huy - Director of Tam Dao Mushroom Cooperative (Phu Tho) - said that using land for multiple purposes is not to change the purpose of using agricultural land but to increase value on the production platform. In which, production is still the core activity, combined with services, experiences and product introduction, thereby increasing the value of agricultural products, creating more jobs, expanding livelihoods, promoting the local image and preserving traditional crafts.
However, according to Mr. Huy, the implementation process still faces many obstacles due to the lack of unified guidance on the scope, conditions and order of implementing combined activities on agricultural land. The boundary between works serving production, experience areas, product introduction areas and items serving visitors is still unclear, leading to each locality applying in a different way, causing difficulties for cooperatives and businesses in developing investment plans as well as mobilizing capital.
Ms. Doan Thi Thanh My, Deputy Director of the Land Administration Department (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) said that after nearly two years of implementation, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has noted that most localities assess this as a policy in the right direction, contributing to improving land use efficiency and better exploiting land resources. However, the implementation process still faces many difficulties.
According to Ms. My, the biggest obstacle currently is determining the boundary between the main purpose of use and the combined purpose. Many cases are difficult to determine the percentage of combined use area, especially when land users expand temporary works, internal roads or parking lots. The regulation that the combined use area does not exceed 50% of the land area of the main purpose also makes it difficult for local authorities to inspect and supervise.
In addition, the implementation is also related to many other laws such as the Construction Law, the Urban and Rural Planning Law, the Forestry Law and environmental protection laws, so many localities are still confused when applying them.
In the coming time, the Ministry will continue to summarize practice to improve regulations, and at the same time promote decentralization and delegation of power in the management of multi-purpose land use. The viewpoint is to create conditions for people and businesses to effectively exploit land resources but resolutely handle cases of taking advantage of policies to change land use purposes against regulations.
