Regulations on Land Registration Offices: Clear responsibilities and enhanced transparency

Accordingly, the Land Registration Office (LRO) becomes the specialized focal point from the provincial level to the grassroots level in land registration, issuance of Certificates, and land data management, aiming at ensuring information transparency, clear responsibilities, and improved service quality for citizens and enterprises.

Land Registration Office - Specialized focal point for land registration and land information

The LRO is a public non-business unit under the provincial land administration authority and is assigned to act as the focal point for performing: land registration; issuance of Certificates of land use rights and ownership of assets attached to land; surveying, adjustment, and preparation of cadastral maps; development, management, operation, and exploitation of the land information system; provision of public services on land; and support for state management within the entire province.

The clear identification of this legal status and functions helps centralize land data into a single focal point, reduce fragmentation, and create a foundation for the modernization and digitalization of land registration and land administration.

The new regulations have standardized the system of tasks of the Land Registration Office (LRO) into major groups, in which tasks related to registration and issuance of Certificates include land registration for land allocated by the State for management; registration of land use rights and ownership of assets attached to land; registration of changes; issuance and adjustment of Certificates. This is the step directly related to the rights and interests of land users and serves as the basis for controlling the quality of case settlement.

Regarding surveying techniques, mapping, and cadastral records, tasks include surveying, adjustment, preparation of cadastral maps and extracts; examination of survey extracts; confirmation of diagrams of assets attached to land; preparation, adjustment, updating, and management of cadastral records; and management of the use of Certificate templates. Centralizing these tasks in the LRO helps unify mapping data and records and avoid overlaps.

For tasks relating to land data and information, the LRO performs updating, adjustment, synchronization, and exploitation of land data; land statistics and inventory; preparation of maps of current land use status; and provision of dossiers, maps, information, and data on land and land-attached assets to organizations and individuals in accordance with regulations. This is the foundation for establishing a unified land database that serves administration and legitimate information needs of society.

With respect to security for transactions, the LRO continues to perform the registration of security measures based on land use rights and ownership of assets attached to land, contributing to ensuring legal safety for credit transactions, purchase, sale, transfer, and capital contribution with land.

In addition, the Office collects fees, charges, and revenues from public services on land; manages public employees, workers, finance, and assets; and performs reporting obligations in accordance with regulations.

More flexible organizational structure and financial mechanism for land registration offices

Regarding the organizational structure, the Land Registration Office (LRO) has specialized divisions and Branches located in district-level administrative units or by area. The Branches perform the functions, tasks, and powers of the LRO as assigned; they may establish specialized divisions if they meet statutory conditions. Both the LRO and its Branches have legal person status, their own seals, may open accounts, and operate under the mechanism applicable to public non-business units, with accounting conducted in accordance with decisions of the provincial People’s Committee. This ensures both professional uniformity and flexibility in organization at the grassroots level.

Regarding finance, the sources of revenue of the LRO and its Branches include: State budget funds guaranteed in accordance with regulations applicable to public non-business units, and revenues from non-business activities such as fees, charges, prices of public land-related services, and other lawful revenues.

For procedures on registration and issuance of Certificates, the Office collects appraisal fees for dossiers; other steps are calculated based on the prices of public services promulgated by the provincial People’s Committee. Operating expenditures and the financial autonomy mechanism are implemented in accordance with general regulations. Funding for updating, synchronizing, exploiting land data, and operating the land information system comes mainly from local budgets and other lawful sources. This design facilitates investment in technical infrastructure, application of technology, improvement of public service quality, and ensures transparency of costs payable by citizens.

Overall, the new regulations on the Land Registration Office (LRO) not only reorganize the apparatus but also lay the foundation for a professional institution that holds and operates the local land data system. When the positions, functions, tasks, organizational structure, and financial mechanisms have been clarified, the requirement is that localities proactively consolidate their organizations, standardize personnel, invest in digital infrastructure, and strictly implement professional procedures.

Effective implementation of these regulations will contribute to enhancing the effectiveness of State administration of land, preventing negative practices, ensuring the lawful rights and interests of land users, and promoting sustainable socio-economic development in the locality.