Improving Land Access and Facilitating Investors

Thanks to the focus on promoting administrative procedure reform, removing bottlenecks in land access, and creating favorable conditions for investors, Soc Trang province's Natural Resources and Environment sector has brought satisfaction for people and businesses, contributing to improving the investment environment and enhancing the province's competitiveness.

Mr. Ngo Thai Chan, Director of Soc Trang Province's Department of Natural Resources and Environment

Making an effort to reform administrative procedures

With the determination to change strongly from the administrative mindset of "asking - giving" to "serving", the Natural Resources and Environment sector always aims at solutions that contribute to the improvement of the Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI), the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) of Soc Trang, especially the component indices related to the management field of the industry. The administrative procedure reform has always been prioritized, with the goal of enhancing publicity, transparency, simplicity, shortening the time compared to regulations, creating maximum convenience for people and businesses.

From 2011 up to now, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment has submitted to the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee to issue a Decision to announce 728 administrative procedures, including 463 newly promulgated, amended and supplemented procedures and 265 abolished procedures. Particularly in 2021, the Department reviewed and advised the Provincial People's Committee to announce 15 new administrative procedures in the fields of environment, water resources and marine synthesis.

Up to now, there are 107 administrative procedures under the jurisdiction of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (of which 93 procedures are carried out according to online public services at level 4); processing time has been shortened from 10% to 65% compared with regulations of the Central Government. In particular, thanks to the centralized receipt and return of results at the Division of Receiving and returning results, as well as promoting the implementation of the one-stop-shop and inter-agency one-stop-shop mechanism, the proportion of administrative procedures dossiers resolved before deadlines and on time has been high and gradually increased year by year (in 2019 the rate of applications resolved before appointment reached 80.96%; the rate in 2020 reached 99.77% and in 2021 reached 100% with 521 applications resolved in advance).

Along with that, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment has built and operated an electronic portal to promptly support and provide information to organizations and individuals in need. In addition, the Department's leaders regularly direct the improvement of working manners and styles, strictly implementing discipline and administrative discipline of cadres, civil servants and public employees in the sector. At the same time, it has strengthened inspection and supervision of cadres' performance of duties to promptly correct and overcome acts of harassment and difficulties in the implementation of administrative procedures in order to build trust with people and businesses.

Contributing to increase investment attraction

In attracting investments, Soc Trang province in recent years has focused on shifting from "quantity" to "quality", with priority given to investors interested in the fields of high-tech agriculture, processing industry, developing industrial clusters, developing marine economy and renewable energy. These include big projects, creating a breakthrough in infrastructure and socio-economic of the province such as: Shrimp breeding production zone in Vinh Hai commune (Vinh Chau town); Tran De - Con Dao high-speed boat; Industrial garment factory in Ward 7 (Soc Trang City); Vincom Plaza Soc Trang; Anh Quang Plaza; and wind power projects in Vinh Chau town.

Contributing to this result, on the basis of assigned tasks, Soc Trang Department of Natural Resources and Environment has focused on improving the quality of appraisal, giving advice on policies as well as strictly controlling environmental and land issues throughout the project implementation. In addition, in order to build Soc Trang as an attractive destination for investors, the Department always strives to build an open investment environment, promptly sharing difficulties, removing obstacles, and creating favorable conditions for businesses.

In order to facilitate and satisfy businesses and investors in accessing land, the Department has publicized the approval decisions and planning maps in an online form on the Department's Public Information Portal on Natural Resources and Environment at the address: http://geoportal.vn/stportal) immediately after being approved. On the basis of the list of projects calling for investment, the Department has cooperated with the People's Committees of districts, towns and cities to include them in land use master plans and schemes, and widely publicize them on the mass media to create favorable conditions for investors in accessing land and selecting investment projects; at the same time, instruct enterprises to carry out laand procedures.

Currently, Soc Trang Department of Natural Resources and Environment is implementing the project of "Building a system of cadastral records and land management database", gradually perfecting the land management model and database system to promptly provide information and data to organizations and individuals when required. This will create favorable conditions in looking up information on land, solving administrative procedures, strengthening the supervision of people in performing the tasks of state management of land.

In addition, to remove difficulties for businesses, the Department has also regularly urged and guided localities in site clearance and land recovery for project implementation. It has focused on mobilizing all resources to create a clean land fund, organizing auctions to be proactive in allocating land, leasing land to organizations to implement investment projects, contributing to local socio-economic development.

Mr. Ngo Thai Chan, Director of Soc Trang Province's Department of Natural Resources and Environment, said that in order to continue to improve the province's PCI index, the Department would regularly monitor and handle inadequacies and problems of people and businesses within their duties and powers; strengthening the organization of dialogues between leaders of the Department and enterprises. Along with that, it will publicize its hotline phone number and email address to receive comments and recommendations on the administrative procedure implementation process as well as information and feedback on problems of individuals and organizations in the process of implementation to take measures to remove them promptly.

In addition, the Department will also proactively propose and advise the Provincial People's Committee to promptly implement solutions to support and remove difficulties for businesses and investors during project implementation or in production and business activities. In particular, it will quickly implement the decisions and policies of the Provincial People's Committee when assigned," said Director Ngo Thai Chan.

By Vietnam Business Forum