On the afternoon of August 13, the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee's Mass Mobilization Committee held a conference to introduce and exchange information on the issuance of the decision to adjust Decision No. 02/2020 of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee regulating land price lists.

Need to carefully assess the impact

Speaking at the conference, representatives of a number of lawyers' associations of districts and Thu Duc City said that the issuance of the adjusted price list is necessary and in accordance with the provisions of the 2024 Land Law.

However, in order to not shock people, the promulgation and implementation time need to have a roadmap.

Ms. Le Thi Hang - President of District 4 Lawyers Association - said that for a long time, the land price list has been much lower than the market price, causing the budget to lose revenue. People whose land was recovered also received low compensation, causing double losses.

According to Ms. Hang, the expected adjusted land price list is still low, not approaching the market price, while the law stipulates that the new price list must ensure the principle of pricing according to market price.

Ms. Hang believes that issuing an adjusted price list is necessary to ensure fairness for those whose land has been recovered. She suggested reviewing the land price list to ensure it is consistent with market prices.

Mr. Le Cong Chinh - Chairman of District 1 Lawyers Association - acknowledged that although the old land price list has been updated many times, it is controlled by the land price framework and therefore cannot keep up with the market price increase.

This has greatly impacted the implementation of public investment projects, especially key projects in Ho Chi Minh City.

According to Mr. Chinh, the adjustment of land prices is very timely and necessary. However, when implementing and issuing amendments, we must consider and be cautious, so as to harmonize the interests of the State, investors, and people.

"If the price list does not achieve harmony of interests, it will lead to many extremely complicated consequences. If there is a suitable price list that creates consensus among the people, it will avoid complicated complaints and lawsuits that go beyond the level," said Mr. Chinh.

Meanwhile, Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh - Chairman of the District 10 Lawyers Association - acknowledged that among the groups affected by the adjusted land price list, some welcomed the increase in compensation and support prices, but others were concerned because land use fees when legalized, purpose changed, transfer tax... could increase.

Therefore, Mr. Thanh suggested that the drafting agency survey and assess the impact more carefully to ensure the harmony of interests of all parties. In which, the economic impact should be assessed in terms of advantages and disadvantages.

Don't compare small goals with the entire rights of the people.

At the conference, Head of the People's Mobilization Committee of Cu Chi district, Duong Van Duyen, asked whether it was possible to temporarily suspend the adjustment of land price list to delay and calculate more carefully.

In the discussion afterwards, Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Ho Chi Minh City Nguyen Toan Thang continued to explain and affirm the necessity of issuing a new land price adjustment table in accordance with the provisions of the 2024 Land Law.

In response to Mr. Duyen's question, Mr. Thang asked the opposite question: What if the issuance of the adjusted price list is stopped, and the entire land acquisition project that is being compensated and cleared cannot approve the resettlement land price, and cannot update the new compensation price according to the market price?

Tens of thousands of cases waiting for compensation and resettlement prices, how to handle?

Mr. Thang said that the new Land Law allows updating all prices compensated by the State, resettlement prices and transaction prices into the land price list with the aim of resolving land acquisition cases.

Currently, the adjusted price list is built on the basis of fully updating resettlement cases, successful transaction prices, and approved compensation. If the price remains the same, people will suffer.

"How can people accept compensation of only a few hundred thousand per square meter of agricultural land, while the compensation price for the Ring Road 3 project for people has been calculated at a reasonable price so that people can quickly hand over the land.

If we use the old compensation price, will people accept it? Not to mention the cases where they have received the money, relocated, and now the price adjustment is stopped, who will handle all these cases?", Mr. Thang raised the question.

According to Mr. Thang: "If we stop adjusting, we will get one thing: we will pay land use fees and low taxes, but all people whose land is recovered will suffer. So we compare small goals with all the rights of the people, be careful not to affect all the rights of the people."