NA deputies discuss in groups on the draft amended Land Law during Friday session. VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

HÀ NỘI – The National Assembly Economic Committee has agreed to establish an annual land price list to ensure timely updates in response to fluctuations in the land market, and emphasised an appropriate roadmap and flexible regulations in case the completion of the annual land price list is delayed beyond January 1, 2026.

During the session on Friday, the National Assembly reviewed the explanatory report, gathered feedback, made revisions to the draft amended Land Law, and examined public opinions and the appraisal report for the amended Land Law.

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Đặng Quốc Khánh reported there have been over 12.1 million comments regarding the draft amended Land Law.

The completed draft Land Law consists of 16 chapters and 263 articles. It includes five additional sections, introduces 40 new articles, and removes 13 articles compared to the draft version. Land recovery and acquisition were among the topics that received significant public feedback.

Specific regulations for land recovery have been included in the draft law for various types of public projects in each sector, including the construction of State agency headquarters, public works, and other necessary cases. The draft law has also reviewed and clarified cases where the State reclaims land for defence and security purposes under Article 78 and cases where land is reclaimed due to violations to ensure compliance with relevant laws, such as the Investment Law and tax laws.

The draft law has added provisions for decentralising land recovery authority to district-level people's committees. Provincial-level people's committees will make decisions on land recovery for national defence and security after obtaining approval from the Minister of National Defence and the Minister of Public Security.

In case of disagreement, the provincial people's committee is responsible for reporting to the Prime Minister for consideration and decision-making.

Regarding compensation and resettlement when the State reclaims land, the drafting unit has studied and legalised some provisions in the current Land Law's implementing decrees that have proven to be appropriate, ensuring the legitimate rights and interests of those whose land was reclaimed. This would help promote consensus and reduce disputes.

The draft law has also clarified the principles of land valuation, market land prices, valuation basis, input information for determining prices, and methods of land valuation. It has also supplemented regulations on land valuation consulting.

Accordingly, land valuation must ensure the method of determining land prices based on market principles; adherence to the correct methods, procedures, and processes of land valuation; objectivity and transparency; independence in determining land prices, evaluating land values, and making price decisions.

Presenting the appraisal report, Chairman of the NA Economic Committee Vũ Hồng Thanh emphasised the need for mechanisms to efficiently exploit land resources and avoid waste of land resources currently managed by public entities.

He proposed amending the provisions that public entities, when leasing land, would not allow to sell assets attached to the land and lease rights in the land lease contract, nor can they use assets attached to the land as collateral.

Some NA deputies said that using land for other purposes should only be allowed for a maximum period of five years and can be extended with the approval of the competent State management agency.

They also requested additional reports on the actual utilisation of land resources allocated to public entities to report to the National Assembly for approval.

In terms of land valuation methods, some opinions suggested continuing to review and supplement the fundamental aspects of land valuation methods to be included in the draft law with the Government responsible for providing detailed regulations. Others proposed the inclusion of clear and specific regulations on land valuation methods directly in the draft Law to ensure transparency in the valuation process.

There were recommendations to study and consider the annual issuance of land price adjustment coefficients. This would involve applying price lists and adjustment coefficients on a yearly basis and making adjustments for areas experiencing fluctuations of 20 per cent or more.

The committee expressed concerns that the regulations on market-based land valuation methods were not sufficiently clear, which could reduce price competition for goods and services and hinder competitiveness in attracting investment.

As a result, the committee recommended that the drafting unit coordinates with the Ministry of Finance to study supplement land valuation principles that balance the interests of the State, citizens, and investors.  This approach should align with Resolution No18-NQ/TW. – VNS