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Vietnam: Special economic zones take actions to prevent land speculation

The Hanoitimes – Authorities in the future special administrative-economic zones (SEZs) of Van Don and Phu Quoc have decided to suspend the land use conversions and land transfers in the zones until a new SEZ law is passed.
The move was made after illegal construction and land trading in the SEZs have reportedly surged sharply for recent months, causing land management in the areas more complicated with high ratios of land speculation and drastic land price hike.
Secretary of the Quang Ninh Province Party Committee and chairman of the provincial People’s Council Nguyen Van Doc said while waiting for the approval of the law, Quang Ninh Province will temporarily stop the conversion of land use purposes, suspend the allocation of land to organizations and cease land transfer in Van Don District. 
Regarding special cases, the Van Don District must report to the province for consideration and decision-making, Doc said at a recent meeting.
According to the report of the Van Don District People’s Committee, from the beginning of this year, the district has completed more than 1,000 transfers of land use rights, mainly in Ha Long, Dong Xa, Doan Ket and Dai Xuyen communes. Surveys showed that the prices of land traded rose five to 10 times, depending on the area, as people anticipate the bright economic future of the area. 
The district has strengthened the inspection and handling of violations and punished officials involved. However, some units have paid little attention to the management of land, causing some cases of illegal land transfer, construction and encroachment.
To deal with this issue, the district’s authority has implemented the inspection and review of land; strictly forbid the change of land use purpose without permission; controlled the transfer of agricultural and forest land; suspended the separation of residential land and changed the purpose of agricultural land use to non-agricultural land and temporarily halted the agreements on location and tasks for planning new projects in Van Don Economic Zone.
The same move has also seen in the southern province of Kien Giang, whose the People’s Committee also signed a document recently to suspend the conversion of land use purposes in land lots in the Phu Quoc SEZ to prevent illegal construction and land trading in the area.
Last month, the Kien Giang People’s Committee also decided to establish a joint sector investigation team to look into violations in construction investment and land and forest destructions in Phu Quoc. As per the decision, the team will propose to the authorities to handle the violations while supplementing policies on land and housing management.
Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh also assigned the Government Inspectorate to supplement agricultural land use and management in their inspection plans. He said the Government Inspectorate should clarify responsibilities for land management, separating land lots and building houses on agricultural land.
He also asked the provincial People’s Committee to implement check-ups and resolve illegal constructions on agricultural land in Phu Quoc District and submit a report to the Government before July 1 this year. 
The government has decided to initially develop three special administrative, economic units – Van Don in northern Quang Ninh province, Bac Van Phong in central Khanh Hoa province and Phu Quoc in southern Kien Giang province.
Special administrative-economic units are magnets for investment, high technology and advanced management modes, aiming to form a high growth area that accelerates local economic restructuring and development.
The National Assembly is expected to pass the Law on Special Administrative Economic Zones this month. Once the law is approved, the general socio-economic planning and construction of the SEZs will be adjusted to fit their status as special administrative-economic zones.
Source: http://www.hanoitimes.vn/economy/2018/05/81E0C62F/special-economic-zones-take-actions-to-prevent-land-speculation/