A official in Diên Hồng Ward visits a household to collect and update land-use information. — Photo courtesy of sggp.org.vn

HCM CITY — HCM City is speeding up a campaign called “90 Days to Enrich and Clean Land Data” as it works to synchronise certificate information with the city’s land database and the national population database. 

Civil servants from wards and communes have continued going door to door to update data in order to meet the end-November deadline.

On November 20, a working group from Điện Hồng Ward, including officials from the ward People’s Committee, local police and neighbourhood leaders, visited households to collect information.

At the home of Nguyễn Thị Thanh Mai on 3/2 Street, officials extracted details from her land-use certificate and citizen ID card, and compiled a record of the property.

Mai said she had been worried about recent cases involving forged land-use certificates, but felt reassured after learning that the update helps link citizens’ identities with their assets.

In Thới An Ward, officials have taken similar steps, visiting residents during evening hours when many are home from work.

One resident said the process took only a few minutes, adding that digitalising land records is essential for secure, transparent and efficient administrative procedures.

“When data is standardised, there’s no fear of impersonation and no need to photocopy documents,” he said.

Nguyễn Đình Bảo Quốc, vice chairman of Thới An Ward’s People’s Committee, said most land-user information already exists, and officers only collect missing data such as citizen ID numbers or names not recorded on certificates.

Ward police and neighbourhood leaders cross-check lists and visit each household to scan or photograph documents before transferring them to the ward’s Department of Economics, Infrastructure and Urban Affairs for entry into the management system.

Nguyễn Hồng Lộc, deputy director of Land Registration Office Branch No. 15, said upon receiving lists from the city police’s PC06 Division and the city Land Registration Office, task forces are split into two groups: one led by ward authorities to gather certificate data, and another led by police to collect citizen ID information.

Branch No. 15 has also reviewed and scanned supplementary certificates from archives, and identified cases requiring on-site verification due to incomplete or faulty data.

These cases are then transferred to wards for household visits.

Localities report that the campaign is now nearing completion.

In Thống Tây Hội Ward, officers have reviewed and collected data for 2,829 out of 3,210 land plots, more than 88 per cent, as of November 15.

Ward officials said challenges include residents’ reluctance to show original land-use certificates and discrepancies between official lists and actual ownership due to inheritance, gifting or transfers.

Trương Thị Minh Hạnh, vice chairwoman of Diên Hồng Ward’s People’s Committee, said the ward has completed 5,355 out of 5,372 files requiring scanning or photography, a rate of 99.6 per cent, and verified 7,357 out of 7,682 files requiring cross-checking of land-use and housing-ownership information.

“Completing the land database will strengthen local-level governance, support digital transformation, reduce administrative delays and help prevent disputes or misconduct in the land sector,” she said.

Residents will also benefit from easier access to planning information and land-use data through the city’s Public Service Portal and the Electronic Land Information Portal, she said. — VNS